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Hydraulic Structures Assignment I

1. Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built a very high standard.
The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many
decades to become profitable:
A) What useful purpose is served by the dam to warrant this high standard and
high cost (list advantages of dam).
B) What are the ill effects of dam construction (list disadvantages)

2. The success of your dam construction is dependent on many factors including


the selection of a suitable and type of dam that enable efficient and economic
operation. Please briefly discuss the major factors that must be considered when
selecting a site and type of Dam for a particular project.

3. Dams may be classified into a number of different categories, depending upon


the purpose of the classification. Consider three broad classifications: (1)
classified according to their use, (2) their hydraulic design and (3) the materials:
A) Give two examples of each types of classification
B) Which classification is the most common classification used for the discussion in
design procedures.

4. List all dams of Ethiopia


A) Specify their locations
B) What is the purpose of the dam
C) Salient features of the dam
I. Height
II. Type
III. Width
IV. Reservoir capacity
V. Electric generating capacity
VI. other
Answers
1, A) The advantages of constructing dams

Dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow and
often creates a reservoir. While a reservoir is an artificial lake created by flooding land
behind a dam. Reservoirs created by dam not only suppress floods but also provide
water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture
and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate
electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be
evenly distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of
retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes)
are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions.

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Power generated from dam is clean and renewable and also reduces dependence on
fossil fuels. Dams can also be used to control flood water and supply a regulated amount
of water to surrounding areas for irrigation. Consequently, dams provide a buffer to
extreme or irregular weather. They are also good source of income directly or indirectly.
If they are properly utilized, it will have a good influence in the countrys economy.
B) The advantages of constructing dams

The major cons that dams have is that they are expensive to build. Because dams are
megastructures they entail many tangible and intangible costs. The financial cost itself
is substantial and also resettlement adds to the social costs of the dam. The financial
costs of large dams in Ethiopia that have been completed since 2009 and 2014 is
estimated at about US$ 11 billion or about one third of Ethiopias Annual GDP. So if the
dam fails before serving its intended time period large amount many is wasted and it is
crucial on the countrys economy especially on developing countries like Ethiopia.

When a river is dammed, water is displaced and surrounding dry areas are flooded.
Often this results in the displacement local populations and the inability to use land
previously accessible. This can disrupt local activities like agriculture. Moreover, when
vegetation is engulfed in water, the dead vegetation releases methane into the
atmosphere, increasing the production of greenhouse gases. Additionally, the loss of
forestland slows the uptake of carbon dioxide, another greenhouse gas.
The flooding of surrounding areas displaces existing wildlife and can disrupt whole
ecosystems. Furthermore, marine life that relies on the unobstructed flow of the river,
such as salmon and other migratory fish, can be adversely affected.

Dams failures are generally catastrophic if the structure is breached, significantly


damaged or the dam is filled silt. Routine deformation monitoring and monitoring of
seepage from drains in and around larger dams is useful to anticipate any problems and
permit remedial action to be taken before structural failure occurs. We need to manage
the watersheds upstream of the new dams through terracing or reforestation to reduce
the effect of siltation.
2, The selection of dam site for constructing a dam should be governed by the following
factors.

Foundation should be impervious and should be able to support the weight of


the dam.
Materials of construction should be available in sufficient quantity and good
quality at a reasonable distance
For economy, the length of the dam should be as small as possible and for a given
height, it should store the maximum volume of water.
The general bed level at the dam site should preferably be higher than that of the
river basin. This will reduce the height of the dam.
A suitable site for the spillway should be available in the near vicinity.
The value of the land and property submerged by the proposed dam should be as
low as possible.

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The dam site should be easily accessible, so that it can be economically connected
to important towns and cities.
Site for establishing labor colonies and a healthy environment should be available
near the site.
The cost relocating roads, buildings etc., stream diversion and dewatering the
site should be minimum as much as possible.
The following are Factors affecting selection of dam site by dam type.

Topography
Geology and Foundation condition
Availability of materials
Spillway size and location
Earthquake zone
Height of the dam
Other factors such as cost of construction and maintenance, life of dam,
aesthetics etc.

3.A, Dams can be formed by human agency, natural causes, or even by the intervention
of wildlife. Man-made dams are typically classified according to their use, hydraulic
design and materials.
Based on their use
Storage dams
I. Flood control
II. Water supply
III. Detention storage
Stage control dams
A. Diversion
B. Navigation
Barrier dams
i. Levees and dykes
ii. Coffer dams
Based on their hydraulic design

o Non-overflow dams
o Overflow dams
o Composite dams
Based on their materials
Timber dams
Steel dams
Concrete dams
Earth dams
Rock-fill dams
Composite dams

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B, Out of the three classifications mentioned above the most common method of dam
classification is based on the material in which the dam is going to be built. The main
and most type of dam classification used for design are:

Concrete dams
I. Gravity dams
II. Buttress dams
III. Multiple arch dams
IV. Thick arch dams
V. Thin arch dams
Embankment dams
i. Rock fill dams
ii. Earth fill dams
iii. Earthen embankments
iv. Composite dams
4, Ethiopia considers itself the powerhouse of Africa due to this high hydropower
potential. Only a fraction of this potential has been harnessed so far. In 2009 less than
10% of Ethiopians had access to electricity and the country was plagued by power
outages. In order to overcome this situation, the government has embarked on an
ambitious dam building program. Three hydropower plants with a combined capacity
1.18 GW were commissioned in 2009 and 2010 alone, more than doubling the doubling
the previous installed capacity of the country. Power demand in Ethiopia is constrained
by poverty and the country thus plans to export power to Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti and
even Yemen or Egypt. The benefits of the dams are only limited to hydrometer. Many
dams are multi-purpose dams that are also designed to provide water for irrigation and
flood control. However, hydropower is expected to be the main benefit of the dams. Here
is some list of dams that are collected from different sources
I. Akaki (1932)
Location: Akaki river
Power generation capacity: 6MW
II. Tis Abay I (1964/2000)
Location: Nile river Rated flow: 29m3/s Rated Head: 46m Height:3m
Power generation capacity: 11.4MW Dam type: Weir Crest: 635m
III. Koka (1960)
Location: Awash river Rated flow: 1000m3/s Height:23.8m Crest: 458m
Power generation capacity: 42.9MW Dam type: Concrete Gravity
IV. Awash II (1966)
Location: Awash river Height:10m Crest: 88m
Power generation capacity: 32MW Dam type: Syphon Weir

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V. Awash III (1971)
Location: Awash river Height:20m Crest: 125m
Power generation capacity: 32MW Dam type: Syphon Weir
VI. Fincha (1973)
Location: Fincha river Rated flow: 27.8m3/s Rated Head: 550m Height:22.2m
Power generation capacity: 100MW Dam type: Earth and Rock fill Crest:340m
VII. Melka Wekena (1989)/2014 Refurbished
Location:Oromia Height:42m Crest:2000m
Power generation capacity: 153MW Dam type: Earth and Rock fill
VIII. Sor (1990)
Location: Ethiopia Rated flow: 15 m3/s Rated Head: 210m
Power generation capacity: 5MW
IX. Tis Abay II (2001)
Location: Nile river Rated flow: 150m3/s Rated Head: 55m Height:3m
Power generation capacity: 68MW Dam type: Weir Crest:635m
X. Gibe I (2004)
Location: Omo river Rated flow: 97m3/s Rated Head: 212m Height:41m
Power generation capacity: 184MW Dam type: Asphalt faced rock fill Crest:1700m
XI. Tekeze I (2009)
Location: Tekeze river Rated flow: 220m3/s Rated Head: 155m Height:188m
Power generation capacity: 300MW Dam type: Arch gravity Crest:420m
XII. Gibe II (2010)
Location: Omo river Rated flow: 98m3/s Rated Head: 485m Height:46.5m
Power generation capacity: 420MW Dam type: Diversion Weir Crest:171.13m
XIII. Tana Beles (2010)
Location: Belesa river Rated flow:160m3/s Rated head:330m
Power generation capacity: 435MW Dam type: Natural reservoir

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XIV. Neshe (2013)
Location:Ethiopia Rated flow:18.72m3/s Rated head:588m Height: 40m
Power generation capacity:98MW Dam type: Earth fill and embankment Crest:1000m
XV. Gibe III (2014/15)-Under construction
Location: Omo river Rated flow:1020m3/s Rated head:263m Height:246m
Power generation capacity: 1870MW Dam type: RCC
XVI. Genale Dawa III (2015)-Under construction

Location: between Oromia and Somalia Rated flow:115.7m3/s Rated head:255m


Height:110m Power generation capacity: 254MW Dam type: RCC
XVII. Great Ethiopian Renaissance dam (2017/18)-Under construction
Location: Nile river Rated flow:4704m3/s Rated head:123m
Power generation capacity: 6000MW
Main Dam Height:150m Saddle Dam Height:50m
Main Dam Crest:1800m Saddle Dam Crest:5200m
Main Dam Type: RCC Saddle Dam Type: Embankment

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