Why is the dam built in a curve shape?

Question

has it got sth to do with the water pressure it has to withstand?

Answer 1

many dams are built with a curve in them because it will make them more efficient. The curve will transfer the force of the water to the sides (the walls of the canyon). take a piece of paper flat on the table and let it bulge outwards in the middle. you can see that when you push on the top of the paper, that the paper part on the table wants to slide out flat. the canyon walls will prevent this from happening, so are transferring weight that would normally have to be taken the full brunt of by the dam, and letting the sidewalls have it.

an increase in area to lessen pressure is not a reason to build a curved dam, otherwise people would build dams that rippled the entire length. but the added cost of building that much more dam is not worth it. more dam means more maintenance, cost, and more pressure. its not like there is a fixed amount of pressure to design to, more dam, means more pressure on the dam

not all dams are built like this, but many are, like the hoover dam, to take advantage of this principle. it relly more depends on the location, type, amount of water, purpose, and costs.

Answer 2

As we know, the formula of pressure exerted by anything on a surface is given by:

Pressure (P)= Force Applied (in newton)/Area (in m^2)

Hence, it is clear that less pressure is exerted on a body having greater area. We know that, the water pressure exerted on a dam is very high. Hence, the dams are made in a curved shape because by doing so, its area increases, which ultimately means that the water pressure on the dam is lessened. This prevents the dam from being broken down. So, the dam is build in a curved shape.

I hope this satisfies the question.

Answer 3

A sphere is just about the strongest shape there is. The load at any point is distributed over the entire surface of the structure so it all becomes load bearing instead of just in one spot.
So, since it would take waaay too much concrete to build a giant spherical dam, in order to distribute the load of the water's pressure, dams are built in an arc shape.

Answer 4

A reverse curve is more resistant to bending than a straight line. Yes the pressure of the water being held back by the dam is held better with a curved structure than a straight one.

Answer 5

Yes. It is shaped like a sidewaws arch. the hover dam is built this way. but the largest dam in the world three gorges in China(under construction now) I straight as an arrow. It depends on how long it will be and what the surroundings are.

Answer 6

It is a curved shape so that the pressure is mostly on the two ends of the dam, and it is exerting on the ground on the two sides.

Answer 7

Things in nature are generally round. The curve adds strength to the dam wall.

Answer 8

Ever look at ancient Roman structures, like the characteristic arch? Same principle, only applied horizontally. The arch design supports a greater amount of load because the force applied at each point along the arch is transferred radially instead of linearly

Answer 9

by using rigidity of the water and the forces exerted on structures it truly is often mandatory to contain iron reinforcing bars (rebar) in concrete dams to seize up on the undeniable reality that concrete is extremely brittle as you propose. a lot less concrete is needed even as rebar is used, in spite of the indisputable fact that enormous boulders are also extremely brittle and may be utilized contained in the type of particular style dams that position self belief in the burden of the dam to restrain water. Concrete is amazingly solid in compression (helping weight) yet brittle in stress or bending.

Answer 10

They are built in the shape of an arch, only its lying on its side.
The arch is a very strong shape ; just ask the ancient Romans. It naturally absorbs weight evenly ....