Water is one of our most precious resources; our lives depend on it. Throughout the history of humankind, people have built dams to maximize use of this vital resource.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit IWHR.
Dams provide a life-sustaining resource to people in all regions of the United States. They are an extremely important part of this nation’s infrastructure—equal in importance to bridges, roads, airports, and other major elements of the infrastructure. They can serve several functions at once, including water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and community use; flood control; recreation; and clean, renewable energy through hydropower.
As populations have grown and moved to arid or flood-prone locations, the need for dams has increased.
Renewable, clean energy: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in , hydropower accounted for more than 7% of U.S. electricity generation and nearly 37% of U.S. renewable electricity generation.
Flood control: Dams built with the assistance of the Natural Resources Conservation Service provide an estimated $1.7 billion in annual benefits in reduced flooding and erosion damage, recreation, water supplies, and wildlife habitat. Dams owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority produce electricity and prevent an average of about $280 million in flood damage each year.
Water storage: Dams create reservoirs that supply water for a multitude of uses, including fire control, irrigation, recreation, domestic and industrial water supply, and more.
Irrigation: Ten percent of American cropland is irrigated using water stored behind dams.
Navigation: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation projects in the U.S. serve 41 states, maintain 12,000 miles of channels, carry 15% of U.S. freight carried by inland waterways, operate 275 locks, and maintain 926 harbors.
Recreation: Dams provide prime recreational facilities throughout the U.S. Ten percent of the U.S. population visits at least one U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility each year.
The purpose of a dam is to impound (store) water, wastewater or liquid borne materials for any of several reasons, such as flood control, human water supply, irrigation, livestock water supply, energy generation, containment of mine tailings, recreation, or pollution control. Many dams fulfill a combination of the above functions.
Manmade dams may be classified according to the type of construction material used, the methods used in construction, the slope or cross-section of the dam, the way the dam resists the forces of the water pressure behind it, the means used for controlling seepage and, occasionally, according to the purpose of the dam.
The materials used for construction of dams include earth, rock, tailings from mining or milling, concrete, masonry, steel, timber, miscellaneous materials (such as plastic or rubber) and any combination of these materials.
Embankment Dams: Embankment dams are the most common type of dam in use today. Materials used for embankment dams include natural soil or rock, or waste materials obtained from mining or milling operations. An embankment dam is termed an “earthfill” or “rockfill” dam depending on whether it is comprised of compacted earth or mostly compacted or dumped rock. The ability of an embankment dam to resist the reservoir water pressure is primarily a result of the mass weight, type and strength of the materials from which the dam is made.
Concrete Dams: Concrete dams may be categorized according to the designs used to resist the stress due to reservoir water pressure. Three common types of concrete dams are: gravity, buttress and arch.
Gravity: Concrete gravity dams are the most common form of concrete dam. The mass weight of concrete and friction resist the reservoir water pressure. Gravity dams are constructed of vertical blocks of concrete with flexible seals in the joints between the blocks.
Buttress: A buttress dam is a specific type of gravity dam in which the large mass of concrete is reduced, and the forces are diverted to the dam foundation through vertical or sloping buttresses.
Arch: Concrete arch dams are typically rather thin in cross-section. The reservoir water forces acting on an arch dam are carried laterally into the abutments.The shape of the arch may resemble a segment of a circle or an ellipse, and the arch may be curved in the vertical plane as well. Such dams are usually constructed of a series of thin vertical blocks that are keyed together; barriers to stop water from flowing are provided between blocks. Variations of arch dams include multi-arch dams in which more than one curved section is used, and arch-gravity dams which combine some features of the two types of dams.
Because the purpose of a dam is to retain water effectively and safely, the water retention ability of a dam is of prime importance. Water may pass from the reservoir to the downstream side of a dam by any of the following:
Overtopping of an embankment dam is very undesirable because the embankment materials may be eroded away (See Video Example). Additionally, only a small number of concrete dams have been designed to be overtopped. Water normally passes through the main spillway or outlet works; it should pass over an auxiliary spillway only during periods of high reservoir levels and high water inflow. All embankment and most concrete dams have some seepage. However, it is important to control the seepage to prevent internal erosion and instability. Proper dam construction, and maintenance and monitoring of seepage provide this control.
Intentional release of water is confined to water releases through outlet works and spillways. A dam typically has a principal or mechanical spillway and a drawdown facility. Additionally, some dams are equipped with auxiliary spillways to manage extreme floods.
Outlet Works: In addition to spillways that ensure that the reservoir does not overtop the dam, outlet works may be provided so that water can be drawn continuously, or as needed, from the reservoir. They also provide a way to draw down the reservoir for repair or safety concerns. Water withdrawn may be discharged into the river below the dam, run through generators to provide hydroelectric power, or used for irrigation. Dam outlets usually consist of pipes, box culverts or tunnels with intake inverts near minimum reservoir level. Such outlets are provided with gates or valves to regulate the flow rate.
Spillways: The most common type of spillway is an ungated concrete chute. This chute may be located over the dam or through the abutment. To permit maximum use of storage volume, movable gates are sometimes installed above the crest to control discharge. Many smaller dams have a pipe and riser spillway, used to carry most flows, and a vegetated earth or rockcut spillway through an abutment to carry infrequent high flood flows. In dams such as those on the Mississippi River, flood discharges are of such magnitude that the spillway occupies the entire width of the dam and the overall structure appears as a succession of vertical piers supporting movable gates. High arch-type dams in rock canyons usually have downstream faces too steep for an overflow spillway. In Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, for example, a shaft spillway is used. In shaft spillways, a vertical shaft upstream from the dam drains water from the reservoir when the water level becomes high enough to enter the shaft or riser; the vertical shaft connects to a horizontal conduit through the dam or abutment into the river below.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit movable dam.
The National Inventory of Dams (NID) has catalogued the more than 90,000 dams on America's waterways according to their hazard classification. Hazard classification is determined by the extent of damage a failure would cause downstream, with high-hazard potential dams resulting in loss of life and significant-hazard potential indicating a failure would not necessarily cause a loss of life, but could result in significant economic losses. As you can see on this map from the NID, there are numerous dams across America and ensuring their safety is a critical goal.
Safety is key to the effectiveness of a dam. Dam failures can be devastating for the dam owners, to the dam’s intended purpose and, especially, for downstream populations and property. Property damage can range in the thousands to billions of dollars. No price can be put on the lives that have been lost and could be lost in the future due to dam failure. Failures know no state boundaries—inundation from a dam failure could affect several states and large populations.
Early in this century, as many dams failed due to lack of proper engineering and maintenance, it was recognized that some form of regulation was needed. One of the earliest state programs was enacted in California in the s. Federal agencies, such as the Corps of Engineers and the Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation built many dams during the early part of the twentieth century and established safety standards during this time. Slowly, other states began regulatory programs. But it was not until the string of significant dam failures in the s that awareness was raised to a new level among the states and the federal government.
Today, every state except Alabama has a dam safety regulatory program. State governments have regulatory responsibility for 70% of the approximately 90,000 dams within the National Inventory of Dams. These programs vary in authority but, typically, the program activities include:
There are several federal government agencies involved with dam safety. Together, these federal agencies are responsible for five percent of the dams in the U.S. They construct, own and operate, regulate or provide technical assistance and research for dams. Included in this list are the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Labor and State (International Boundary and Water Commission), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the National Dam Safety Program, a program established by law in to coordinate the federal effort through the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety, to assist state dam safety programs through financial grants, and to provide research funding and coordination of technology transfer.
Federal agency representatives make up about 16% of the ASDSO membership. About 14% of dams in the USA are owned or regulated by federal agencies.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security, does not own or regulate dams itself but administers the National Dam Safety Program, which coordinates all federal dam safety programs and assists states in improving their dam safety regulatory programs. The Office of Infrastructure Protection, also within the Department of Homeland Security, leads a coordinated national program to reduce risks to the nation's critical infrastructure, including dams, posed by acts of terrorism.
Federal agencies involved with dam safety, either as owners and/or regulators, include the following:
Together the agencies listed above make up the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety (ICODS), overseen by FEMA as head of the National Dam Safety Program.
Other federal agencies that stay involved with ASDSO and the dam safety community are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Dam structure, maintenance, processing, and building are profoundly ingrained in the past and future of YOOIL. We recognize that dam construction is complicated since each dam is structurally unique. Yes, they aim to restrict water movement, but one important factor contributing to their variances is the sort of dam gates used. A dam is a structure that controls or stops the flow of water or subsurface streams. Dam-created reservoirs not only prevent flooding, but also offer water for purposes such as agriculture, human consumption, industrial usage, aquaculture, and navigation. To create energy, hydropower is frequently used with dams. A dam's steel gates can also be used to gather water or to store water that can be dispersed equally across areas. Dams serve the primary goal of holding water, whereas floodgates or levees (also known as barriers) are used to restrict or prohibit water flow into certain geographical zones.
Dams perform various important functions in modern civilization. This covers drinking water, irrigation, flood management, hydropower generation, and even recreational opportunities. Dam building contractors at YOOIL specialize in the restoration and replacement of dam mechanical equipment of all sizes. We are a multi-disciplined general contractor company that provides high-quality building services in hydroelectric projects and dam repair.
Water, along with air and land, is a crucial resource for maintaining life on Earth, and its demand is rapidly increasing across the world. Over the last three centuries, freshwater extraction has increased by a ratio of 35, while the world population has expanded by a factor of 8. With a current worldwide population of 5.6 billion and an annual growth rate of around 90 million, along with the genuine desire for greater living standards, global water demand is expected to rise by an extra 2-3 per cent each year in the future decades. Freshwater resources, on the other hand, are scarce and unevenly distributed. Ensuring Robust Water conservation, recycling, and reuse strategies may be used in nations with high water use and rich resources, as well as modern technical infrastructure.
Nonetheless, in many other locations, water availability is critical for advancement beyond the current inadequate levels of development, as well as for the survival of existing populations or the continually increasing demand caused by rapid population growth. Dam and reservoir development is critical in these locations for harnessing water resources. Seasonal changes and inconsistencies in river flow impede the proper use of water runoff, resulting in catastrophic situations such as flooding and drought. Dam steel gates have been used for quite a long time now to provide a sufficient water supply by holding water during times of excess and releasing it during periods of scarcity, therefore avoiding or moderating floods.
It is used for:
Water quality difficulties can emerge as a result of water collection, storage, and delivery. Water quality can deteriorate owing to evaporation and the accumulation of dissolved salts in dams that store water from subsurface sources. Furthermore, cattle wading and defecating in the water can quickly pollute unfenced catchment dams. Furthermore, poorly vegetated catchment regions can cause considerable volumes of organic matter, manure, fertilizer, and dirt to enter the water supply.
The following techniques can be used to enhance high water quality:
The usage of Dam steel gates is one prominent step that helps a lot and catalyzes this motive. These steel gates are complex water management structures that are used to effectively regulate water. These gates combine the strength and durability of steel with other materials, resulting in improved performance. They are especially intended to combine the advantages of standard steel gates with the advantages of alternative materials such as rubber or composite materials, a great method for water proofing of dams. These gate’s major goal is to provide resilience, adaptation, and efficiency in managing water flow in diverse water systems such as rivers, canals, reservoirs, and others. Their adaptability and endurance have made them a popular choice in water engineering projects all over the world.
Hybrid Steel Gates are a game-changing innovation in the realm of water management and dam construction. These gates are fast advancing due to the application of novel technologies, and YOOIL Envirotech is leading the way in this evolution. In today's world, the water control and dam-building sectors prioritize sustainability and efficiency. These principles are excellently embodied by hybrid steel gates, which provide ecologically friendly, long-lasting, and efficient solutions.
As a pioneer in the creation of Hybrid Steel Gates, YOOIL Envirotech is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of gate technology. They are continually trying to develop more innovative and effective solutions for their consumers, thanks to their experience and devotion. There are various advantages to using hybrid steel gates over regular steel gates. For starters, they are more ecologically friendly since they lower carbon footprints and have less impact on the ecology. These gates are also extremely sturdy, guaranteeing a longer lifespan and avoiding the need for frequent replacements.
Furthermore, Hybrid Steel Gates are built to be extremely efficient. They provide greater water management capabilities, enabling better water flow regulation and the prevention of flooding or water shortages. This efficiency not only benefits the environment but also saves customers money. YOOIL Envirotech recognizes its clients' changing demands and is committed to providing them with the best solutions possible. Their knowledgeable team is constantly ready to aid consumers in selecting the ideal If you need a reliable and cutting-edge supplier of Hybrid Steel Gates, look no further than YOOIL Envirotech. Contact them today and experience the benefits of their innovative solutions for yourself.