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A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is stable and independent of any other dam section.
Embankment dams come in two types: the earth-filled dam (also called an earthen dam or terrain dam) made of compacted earth, and the rock-filled dam. A cross-section of an embankment dam shows a shape like a bank, or hill. Most have a central section or core composed of an impermeable material to stop water from seeping through the dam.
The following table lists the largest man-made dams by volume of fill/structure. By general definition, a dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams, hence tailings dams are relegated to a separate list.
The tallest embankment dam and second tallest dam in the world is the 300 m (984 ft) Nurek Dam in Tajikistan. The tallest gravity dam is the 285 m (935 ft) high Grande Dixence Dam in Switzerland. The tallest natural dam, the 567 m (1,860 ft) Usoi Dam in Tajikistan, is 262 m (860 ft) taller than the tallest existing man-made one.
Gravity dams are classified as "solid" or "hollow" and are generally made of either concrete or masonry. The solid form is the more widely used of the two, though the hollow dam is frequently more economical to construct. Grand Coulee Dam is a solid gravity dam and Braddock Locks & Dam is a hollow gravity dam. [citation needed]
The main list includes all U.S. dams over 300 feet (91 m) tall, and a second list gives the tallest dams in each state. Dimensions given are for foundation height, not hydraulic height or head. Structures such as levees, dikes and tailings dams are not included in the lists. Decommissioned or failed dams, such as Teton Dam in Idaho, are ...
The earthen dam, with a paved road on top, controls with six gates the flow of the Sandy Creek from Stark County to the Tuscarawas River. The dam, built in 1935, is east of Bolivar near State ...
Hoover Dam from the air. Arch-gravity dams are dams that resist the thrust of water by their weight using the force of gravity and the arch action. [3]An arch-gravity dam incorporates the arch's curved design which is effective in supporting the water in narrow, rocky locations where the gorge's sides are of hard rock and the water is forced into a narrow channel.