Types of Dams

uses its own weight to resist water pressure; water pushes horizontally, gravity keeps it planted; narrow to wide valleys with strong bedrock

curved shape transfers water pressure into canyone walls; walls carry most of force (abutments), not the dam; thin; strong rock walls required (steep, narrow canyons)

slanted wall holds water, supported by traingular buttresses behind it - transfer force downward to the foundation; complex design; wide valleys

made of compacted soil, sand, and clay; clay prevent seepage, weight holds back water; flexible during earthquakes, broad valleys and poor bedrock

loose rocks with impermeable membrane; handles seismic activity well; mountain regions

rockfill dam with a concnrete slab on the upstream face to stop water; strong against earthquakes; cheap

uses gates to control water level instead of storing huge volumes; gates open/close to regulate flow; not tall; known as drowning machines

• water stored at heigh - high gravitational potential energy • water flows through penstocks • spins turbines • turbines drive generators = electricity

more energy