| Abstrakt: |
During the early 1960’s a magnificent concrete dam (Diga del Vajont) was constructed about 10 miles (16.2 kilometers) northeast of Belluno, an Italian town along the Piave River. The dam spans the Vaiont gorge, an old glacial trough in the heart of the spectacular Italian Alps. The area is within the southern part of the majestic Dolomites of the northern Italian region. This region is characterized by near-vertical cliffs composed mostly of massive carbonate rocks. The dam, which cost approximately $100 million to build, is 11 feet (3.4 meters) wide at the top and 74 feet (22.7 meters) wide at the base and stands 875 feet (265 meters) high at the highest point. It was designed to create a large lake for the generation of hydroelectric power. The dam impounded a reservoir of 316,000 cubic feet (8,943 cubic meters) of water. The curved, thin-arch dam still stands as an engineering marvel and a testament to humanity’s ingenuity. |
