Buttress dam
A buttress dam or hollow dam is a dam with a solid, water-tight upstream side that is supported at intervals on the downstream side by a series of buttresses or supports.[1] The dam wall may be flat or curved. Most buttress dams are made of reinforced concrete and are heavy, pushing the dam into the ground. Water pushes against the dam, but the buttresses are inflexible and prevent the dam from falling over.[2]
Buttress dams were originally built to retain water for irrigation or mining in areas of scarce or expensive resources but cheap labour. A buttress dam is a good choice in wide valleys where solid rock is rare.[3]
As designs have become more sophisticated, the virtues and weaknesses of the buttress type dams have become apparent. The Romans were the first to use buttresses to increase the stability of a dam wall.[4]
See also
Notes
- ^ "Glossary". Retrieved 2007-02-05.
- ^ "Buttress dam forces". Retrieved 2007-02-05.
- ^ "Introduction to Buttress Dams". Retrieved 2007-02-05.
- ^ "Key Developments in the History of Buttress Dams".
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