How dams are designed to withstand the pressure of heavy traffic moving over them?
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dam, whether it is big or small, is a plug in a stream. It is a barrier built across a stream or river to stop or check the flow of water. Some dams form by chance, such as by natural processes like landslides or glacial ice. But dams we're most familiar with are built on purpose, by beavers or humans.
A beaver dam is an example of a small dam; it is made by using sticks and mud to slow down the flow of a stream or a river. This causes water to pool behind the jam of sticks and mud and results in a new pond being built.
Large dams, on the other hand, are more complex to build and take a lot of work, power, time and money. A dam can be made of concrete, rocks, wood, or plain old earth. An example of a large dam is the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington. It is about 550 feet tall and is made of concrete.
The most important load that a dam must support is the water behind it. How much the water pushes on the dam is called water pressure. Water pressure increases with the depth of the water.
In deep water, there is more water “piled up,” which causes the pressure to be greater at the bottom than at the surface. A dam's design must enable it to withstand greater pressure at the bottom than at the top.
As a result, many dams are built in a triangular shape. A wide bottom withstands the great load of the water deep below the surface, while the top of the dam can be built thinner so as not to use unnecessary costly materials.
A beaver dam is an example of a small dam; it is made by using sticks and mud to slow down the flow of a stream or a river. This causes water to pool behind the jam of sticks and mud and results in a new pond being built.
Large dams, on the other hand, are more complex to build and take a lot of work, power, time and money. A dam can be made of concrete, rocks, wood, or plain old earth. An example of a large dam is the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington. It is about 550 feet tall and is made of concrete.
The most important load that a dam must support is the water behind it. How much the water pushes on the dam is called water pressure. Water pressure increases with the depth of the water.
In deep water, there is more water “piled up,” which causes the pressure to be greater at the bottom than at the surface. A dam's design must enable it to withstand greater pressure at the bottom than at the top.
As a result, many dams are built in a triangular shape. A wide bottom withstands the great load of the water deep below the surface, while the top of the dam can be built thinner so as not to use unnecessary costly materials.
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