Volume XVIII Issue 1

The paper describes the development of a procedure that helps the engineer to calculate and select the minimum volume dam from a series of alternatives, and locate the exact position, shape and volume of the dam. The paper considers consecutive positions of dams on a pilot line along the river gorge, for various types of dams such as concrete and earth dams, with straight or arched crests. The volumes of the dams and reservoirs are calculated using computer software developed elsewhere, and the smallest volume dam is selected for each type of dam using the steepest descent optimization method. The most economical dams are positioned at the entrance to the river gorge, concrete arched dams can be placed more upstream than concrete straight dams, and earth dams are placed further downstream in the gorge because of larger volumes. The minimum volume dams are plotted in plan, and their geometry accurately defined.


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