Maximum Force on a Dam

by Michael Ludwig

Submitted : Fall 2012

A dam can be a vital tool used in our society for many different reasons, for creating a water source for farming and/or villages and towns, generating electricity, and for safety. Raging floods can demolish entire cities that are built to close to the river. A dam holds back this water that would have flooded these cities, but how much water can the dam hold? Engineers precisely calculate the maximum amount of force and pressure that a dam can withstand in order to build a strong enough structure to hold back the amount of water that it may encounter. Miss calculations can result in disaster for the cities.

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