
The shape can vary slightly any of these shapes can be used to simulate a gravity dam if the exact shape is unknown. So at the reservoir’s surface, the water is exerting no pressure, and at the bottom of the reservoir, the water is exerting maximum pressure. The deeper the water, the more horizontal pressure it exerts on the dam. This is because of the triangular distribution of water pressure. The shape of the gravity dam resembles a triangle. Usually, the base of a concrete gravity dam is equal to approximately 0.7 times the height of the dam:

The design and analysis of the multiple-arch type of buttress dam are closely akin to concrete arch dam design and analysis. Two of the most common gravity-buttress dams are the flat-slab type “and the massive-head type. They are the simplest of the concrete types and the most typical to design and build.Ī buttress dam is a gravity structure that, in addition to its own weight, utilizes the weight of water over the upstream face to provide stability.

Although usually straight in the plan, these dams are sometimes curved or angled to accommodate site topography.

One of the reasons is that they can be constructed with ease, and on any dam site where a solid rock foundation is strong enough to bear the vast weight of the dam can be found.Ī gravity dam is an essentially solid concrete structure that resists imposed forces principally by its own weight. Currently, concrete gravity dams are most prefer as compared to other dams. This type of structure is durable and requires very little maintenance. When constructed, the section is proportioned such that it can resist the external force acting on the dam by its own weight. The gravity dam’s shape is triangular in shape and has an apex at its top with the maximum width at the bottom.
