In the course of its development, mankind has created and erected ever larger structures. The dam is one of the buildings developed by man thanks to the example of nature and modified for his own needs. At the moment, there are dams that are striking in their gigantic dimensions.
Usoy natural dam
Human technology is still unable to resist the power of nature. What would take a person years, nature creates in just a couple of minutes. The Usoi Dam, formed during the earthquake in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan, is proof of this. A huge natural dam with a height of 567 meters and a length of five kilometers is considered the largest in the world.
However, despite all its grandeur and beauty, the dam is a time bomb that can lead to disaster. During its formation, the Usoy Dam blocked the Murgab River, due to which Lake Sarez appeared. Due to the gradual destruction of the dam, the slightest natural impact can lead to the fact that a 100-meter rampart of water from stones will pass through Central Asia. As a result, not only people can suffer, but also plants and animals.
HPP Jinping-1
Dam located in China in the Sichuan province on the Yalongjiang River. HPP Jinping-1 is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest dam in the world and also the largest dam built by man. The height of the dam is 305 meters and the length is 569 meters, frightening and mesmerizing at the same time. The development of the dam project began back in 1960. For the construction, the Chinese government had to relocate 7, 5 thousand inhabitants. Construction began in 2005, and in 2012 the dam was already commissioned.
HPP Jinping-1 had to solve two main tasks. First, to protect the river from floods and prevent leaching of fertile soil, and second, to generate the energy that developing China needs. It was originally planned that the dam will have six power generating units, but so far only two have been erected.
Nurek HPP
The world's second tallest dam is located in Tajikistan on the Vakhsh River. The development of the Nurek HPP project was completed in 1961 and construction began immediately. In 1972, the construction of the dam with a height of 304 meters was completed, but the last power unit was completed later, in 1979. It is not only the size of the dam that is striking, but also the benefits it brings:
- 75% of the energy in Tajikistan is generated by the Nurek HPP;
- surplus energy goes to neighboring countries - Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan;
- the water from the reservoir is used to irrigate farmland.
Xiaowan HPP
At 292 meters, Xiaowan HPP is the largest dam on the Mekong River in China. The start of construction was announced in 2002. In 2005, concrete was poured, and in 2007 some generators were launched. In 2010, the construction could be considered completely finished.
In the bowels of the Xiaowan HPP there are six 700 MW hydraulic units and tunnel spillways. The main feature of the dam is earthquake resistance. Due to its thick frame, the dam is able to withstand an earthquake of magnitude eight.
Grand Dixens
Quite a complex structure in construction, erected in Switzerland. The dimensions of Grand Dixens are amazing: height 285 meters, length 700 meters, width of the base 200 meters. Grand Dixens is located in the canton of Valle.
For the engineers, the main challenge was to make the dam strong and stable enough to withstand the pressure of the mountain streams. The dam is part of the Clason-Dixens hydropower complex. In September, the water from the glaciers flows into the reservoir of the hydro-complex, due to which the water level becomes maximum. In April, on the contrary, the water level is minimal.
