A dam is a barrier that impounds water or under ground stream.
A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between location.
Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water.
BASIC TERMS OF DAM
- Crest- The top of the dam. These may in some cases be used for providing a roadway or walkway over the dam.
- Heel- Portion of dam in contact with ground or river bed at upstream side.
- Parapet Wall- Low protective walls on either sides of the roadway and walkway on the crest.
- Toe- Portion of dam in contact with ground or river bed at downstream side.
- Spillway- It is the arrangement made near the top of dam for the passage of surplus/ excessive water from the reservoir.
- Free board- The space between the highest level of water in the reservoir and the top of the dam.
- Abutment- The valley slops on either sides of the dam wall to which the left wall & right end of the dam are fixed to.
- Gallery- Level or gently slopping tunnels like passage at transverse or longitudinal within the dam with drain of floor for seepage water. These are generally provided for having space for drilling grout holes and drainage holes. These may also be used to accommodate the instrumentation for studying the performance of dam.
- Slice Way- Opening in the dam near the base provided to clear the silt accumulation in the reservoir.
- Core- A zone of material of low permeability in an earth embankment dam, hence the terms the central core, inclined core, puddle clay core, and rolled clay core.
- Dead Storage Level- Level of permanent storage below which the water will not be withdrawn.
- Diversion Tunnel- Tunnel constructed to divert of change the direction of water to bypass the dam construction sites. The dam is built while the river flows through the diversion tunnel.
- Base width- The width of dam measured along dam/ foundation interface
- Breach- An opening or a breakthrough of a dam sometimes cause by rapid erosion of a section of earth embankment by water.
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