Buttress Dams
From ASDSO Dam Safety Toolbox
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| A diagram displaying how forces are transferred through the structure's buttress design. (USBR, 2019) |
A buttress dam is a specific type of gravity dam in which the large mass of concrete or masonry is reduced, and the forces are diverted to the dam foundation through vertical or sloping buttresses. Buttress dams are also referred to as Ambursen dams after engineer Nils F. Ambursen who developed and patented the design technique in the early 1900s.
Life Cycle of Buttress Dams
Best Practices Resources
Revision ID: 4611
Revision Date: 11/28/2022