Mega Dams Quiz

Mega Dams: Engineering Marvels

• The Three Gorges Dam and the Hoover Dam produce 5 million times more power than Debton.
• The Three Gorges Dam harnesses the power of the Yangtze River, with its reservoir rising 60 stories above the riverbed.
• 32 generators at the Three Gorges Dam produce enough power for 60 million Chinese, setting a new benchmark in the hydroelectric industry.
• In 1878, Debton Dam showcased the potential of harnessing electricity from small streams, while French Engineers diverted the Dordoin River to build a 128-megawatt dam during World War I.
• The Mirage Dam in France produced 128 megawatts, aiding in powering a train line and supplying Paris with electricity.
• The Yangtze River, the largest in China, presents immense logistical challenges for dam engineers.
• The Three Gorges Dam necessitated the relocation of over a million people and the construction of thousands of new houses.
• American Engineers building the Hoover Dam mitigated concrete cooling challenges by casting it in small blocks and using river water to expedite the cooling process.
• The Hoover Dam, with 6 million tons of concrete, stored 35 billion cubic meters of water and generated more power than any other dam at the time.
• The Three Gorges Dam contains more concrete than any other structure on Earth, requiring innovative cooling measures to prevent cracking.
• As dams grew, they held back more water, necessitating protective measures, as seen in the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
• The catastrophic effects of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood in 1889 prompted American Engineers to develop protective measures for larger dams.