One of the oldest manmade structures are none other than the dam, whose main purpose is to hold back water. They are also used to help drive water to where it is needed for irrigation purposes, to help keep flooding under control, or to help generate power. Dam construction may only serve a handful of useful purposes, but there are numerous types of dams and different ways to create them to meet those needs. Some of the different types include timber, arch-gravity, masonry, and embankment dams. And the more common materials used in dam construction include concrete, rock, steel, and wood.
Even though dam construction has existed for quite some time, the craft has been refined and perfected, especially in the last 100 years with the advanced dam construction engineering techniques that have developed. Some of the dams built a long time ago are in need of a structural update, if not a complete repair. The cost of the huge undertaking of bringing all dams in the US up to meet the current standards has been estimated at $40 billion. It will be important to use a material that is affordable, but still remains reliable and safe. Continue reading ‘A Brief Overview of Dam Construction Using Roller Compacted Concrete’ »