What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of dam construction companies

Dams are some of the most impressive and well-noticed aspects of modern infrastructure. Throughout history, dams have played an important role in the growth and expansion of civilization. Many ancient city planners relied on dams to funnel water through their cities even if it was far away, while military leaders used dams to alter the terrain that they planned to fight on.  However, their existence is contentious.

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Floodwaters can provide valuable nutrients to the soil and easily replenish water supplies, but can also destroy homes and property if not properly controlled. As a result, dams are constructed to store water and control the amount of water moving down a stream or river.

When President Franklin Roosevelt opened the Hoover Dam in , he remarked how &#;I came, I saw and I was conquered.&#; The Hoover Dam was the largest concrete structure on the planet at the time. In the following decades, nations like Pakistan, India, Spain and Switzerland constructed dams. Currently, the Nurek Dam in Tajikistan is the largest in the world.

Today, dams like the Hoover Dam, or the Three Gorges Dam in China, are used to create electricity, or facilitate water for irrigation and flood prevention. China currently holds the record for the most dams, according to the Economist.

Keep reading below for a comprehensive list of the pros and cons of dams:

Pros of dams

Hydroelectric power:

One of the most beneficial aspects of dams is the potential to create hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power is created when water passes through a dam via a turbine. Hydroelectricity is one of the most studied forms of alternative energy, as it is relatively reliable and stable, and most hydroelectric power plants have low maintenance and operational costs. According to FEMA, hydroelectric power currently amounts to 8 to 12 percent of current electricity needs, and overall creates about 100,000 megawatts of electricity.

Controlling waterways:

Flooding can be disastrous for many communities, especially if nearby water resources are hard to control. Dams are able to re-divert waterways to other areas to keep communities safe or open up more land to build on. Flood control dams specifically mitigate floodwaters by impounding water and then safely diverting the water towards other places.

Great source of irrigation:

The presence of a dam creates a reservoir that can be used as a great source of water, specifically for farm and industrial activities. Dams have been used for centuries for irrigation. The Aswan High Dam in Egypt gives local farmers protection against the harsh droughts and famines of the desert by controlling the water supply of the mighty Nile river. FEMA says about 10% of cropland in the United States is irrigated by dam water.

Environmental Protection:

Some dams help protect the environment by trapping hazardous materials in water and capturing sediment that could contain harmful or toxic substances. Some dams also have mine tailing impoundments, which help facilitate the processing of minerals in an environmentally friendly way. FEMA says dams also help facilitate the nation&#;s waterways, making river transportation seamless and easy, and reducing the risk of water-borne accidents or other problems, which could negatively affect the environment.

Cons of dams

Risk of sediment buildup:

When water rushes through a dam and its internal turbines, it can create a great spot for sediment layers to be trapped and congregate, which then can pollute the water and disrupt the ecology of the water environment.

Damaging to environment:

Rushing floodwaters replenish the nutrients in the soil in water, which is beneficial to all plant and animal life in rivers and other waterways. When water is diverted due to a dam, it can greatly disrupt the delicate natural ecosystem. Some flora and fauna are able to adapt to the changing conditions, but many will not, and could be destroyed in the new environment. After the Aswan High Dam in Egypt was built, scientists noticed a marked decline in fish production around the area, as the amount of nutrients and food was now less than before the dam. Fish ladders have been build at some dams to help fish migrate, but some are not able to use the ladder properly, especially if they are used to fast-moving water.

Erosion of surrounding soil:

After the construction of many dams, erosion of the surrounding land has been noticed. The large reservoir at China&#;s Three Gorges Dam has eroded nearby shoreline, which has led to landslides along the side of the reservoir. The Nile Delta has experienced erosion due to the reduction of sediment after the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Much of the sediment has fallen into the reservoir, which means there is less land around to farm and work on.

High Cost & Risk for Disaster:

The cost of building a dam often reaches astronomical levels. The engineering and technical aspects, along with the actual construction, is a time intensive and laborious process that has to be done with absolute precision. China&#;s Three Gorges Dam was built in an area with seismic activity, and small cracks have already been found in the infrastructure. A dam collapse or break would be an absolute catastrophe, especially from one the size of the Three Gorges Dam. After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, dams in the Houston area were pushed to their limit by massive floodwaters.

According to the Texas Observer, worries are that water could overflow from some of the dam&#;s spillways, and not be controlled. If a dam were to be removed, rivers and other waterways would most likely try to reclaim its old channel, which means that expensive river training structures, like bank protection and bendway weirs, would have to be deployed in order to keep the river on a certain path. This is often hard to do and relies on the accuracy of hydraulic modeling studies and other advanced analytics.

It can be hard to imagine what civilization would be like without the presence of dams to control waterways and build reservoirs of water. Even though dams are a major part of modern infrastructure, their positives and negatives on society and the environment are still being studied.

Advantages of Dams

Dams serve a variety of functions and provide numerous benefits to local areas and industry. They are primarily used to store water, control flooding and generate electricity. Many dams serve to store water to function as standing lakes. In general, dams provide various advantages for communities but still other disadvantages.

In general, dams are important structures that are constructed for the purpose of water storage. The water held by dams, generally from a channel, can later be used for generating electricity and used for irrigation purposes. Dams are also critical in flood control. 

How Are Dams Constructed?

One of the most well known dams, Hoover Dam, was constructed to provide irrigation water to local communities as well as to control floods and generate hydroelectricity. The federal government authorized construction of Hoover Dam, which spans 30 miles across the Nevada-Arizona border. Its large structure depicts the various advantages that dams have for local areas. 

A dam is a structure commonly built across a river or stream to create a large reservoir behind it. There are various types of dam spillways and operational dam gates that help control the flow of water.

With dam engineering there are different categories to consider for construction including structural type, usage and materials required. Construction of dams is complex. Dam projects require substantial labor, materials, and other resources. Knowing how dams work can provide clarity to how they&#;re constructed. Steps take to build dams include:

• Building up an area to help divert water in order to properly create structure. Engineers usually implement tunneling systems to help in diverting water from existing rivers.

• Creating a foundation is the next step in construction of dams.

  Cofferdams

  are one type of dam that can help in the layout of the structure. 

• Assembling the overall structure of the dam is next. During this process, dam construction contractors ensure there is no loose rock on the riverbed, then work to build a plinth. This keeps water from leaking from the ledges of the dam. Majority of dams use reinforcements with concrete steel to protect against water flow. 

• Once a dam has been fully constructed, dam contractors will fill the reservoir. During this process, testing of flood gates is critical.

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Advantages of Dams

Dams are advantageous in many ways. In engineering, dams function to store vast amounts of water in flooding and even for recreational purposes. 

Many other factors to consider when weighing the advantages of dams include: improved health and life by supplying clean water, improved quality of sanitation, increased food (crop & fish) production, irrigation supply, protection of lives and goods from flooding, generation of electricity, tailings of mines and controlling the debris as well as the recreation and environmental benefits of the reservoirs. 

Why Are Dams Advantageous?

As a water source, dams have many advantages and applications. The application of dams can include cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing, drinking water, farming and for other cultivation purposes.

When there&#;s excess flow of water, dams help by storing water in reservoirs. Dams also function to release water during times of low flow when natural streams are inadequate to meet demands. All purposes are kept in mind when constructing dams. Some functions of dams can include:

Irrigation

Dams help crops and plants through evapotranspiration. With large quantities of water stored in dams, they can be easily used for irrigation. This helps communities plan farming and nurturing crops accordingly, further enhancing food supply.

Some examples of dams used for irrigation include Burrinjuck Dam in Australia. 

Drinking Water

A portion of water storage in dams and reservoirs is supplied for drinking, municipal and industrial purposes. After water treatment, it can be used for drinking. This can help ensure that people are drinking pure water, preventing diseases like cholera. 

An example dam used for drinking water supply is also in Australia known as Warragamba. 

Electrical Generation

One of the staples of dams and major industry advantages is dam usage in hydropower and electrical generation. There are several environmental advantages of hydroelectric power including its flexibility, affordability, and the perks of being a renewable resource.

Once constructed, a dam can generate constant electricity. There&#;s no fuel requirements to produce this electricity. Dams used in hydropower also last longer than thermal power plants. The resource is renewable given that it can be used repeatedly downstream for power generation. Hydropower can be stored or diverted and is one of the most eco-friendly means of producing power. One example of this is the 103,800 megawatts of electricity produced by dams in the United States alone. Itaipu Dam is a hydropower site in Brazil with one of the world&#;s largest productions of power. 

Use In Flood Control

As mentioned previously, during flood seasons, dams can be used to control the flow of water by either reducing floods to help manage wash aways. It can also reduce congestion of water.

In the United States, flood zones in Tennessee, southern Ohio, and the lower Mississippi Rivers are controlled by Tennessee Valley Authority dams.  

Water Storage

Reservoirs have many beneficial features including the most pronounced of being a source of water storage. Upstream water ponds can be used for fish farms, further reducing damage to fish habitats during dam construction. 

Environmentally Friendly

One of the major advantages of dams is their eco-friendly features. Because dams use a renewable resource, they help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide. Additionally, tailing dams help protect the environment from toxic mining wastes. 

Recreational Purposes

Dams can also serve as a recreational activity. Several dams throughout the United States are known to provide an area for boating, skiing, campaign, picnics, and boat launches. 

Dam Construction with Gracon LLC

Dams are classified according to the type of construction material being used, the slope or cross-section of the dam, and the way the dam resists the forces of the water pressure behind it, the means used for controlling seepage, and what the dam&#;s purpose may be. There are various types of dams to consider and the advantages of each. 

Gracon LLC are dam experts in construction, maintenance and rehabilitation. We work to ensure that each dam project is given the opportunity to capitalize on the advantages of dams listed above, plus numerous others. For more information on our dam construction and processes contact us today.

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