“The earthen embankment dam is located on top of gypsum, a soft mineral which dissolves in contact with water.”
Um, that doesn’t seem to smart to me!
Wait until my grandbaby grows up, he’s not even 2 but I’m sure he’s going to be a great engineer. He’ll solve this problem.
Hang in there Iraqis, just for another 25 years or so!
“Smart” is not the adjective that applies to ANY of the parties that put this dam in place. “Expedient” is more in order.
Supposedly a flood control device and water-retention reservoir for agricultural purposes, it was put up with an eye to economy on the short term, not as a monument to engineering skill and capabilities. Apparently this is a relatively high-maintenance design, only meant as a temporary measure while a REAL dam was to be build downstream, one that would provide much more water retention, and be fully adequate to provide a considerable measure of hydroelectric power to the existing grid in Iraq.
It may all be a moot point anyway, if the Islamic Caliphate blows the dam, a highly likely outcome. Think of the flood downstream in Baghdad, and the untold mischief to agricultural production in the short term, and the overall impact on the viability and makeup of the current government now nominally in charge of that legal fiction known as “Iraq”.
Nope.
But consider that the Tappan Zee Bridge in NY rests on wooden pilings that were pounded into mud. The bridge is finally scheduled to be rebuilt, five years after the end of its intended lifespan.
Engineering assessments have determined that "everything from steel corrosion to earthquakes to maritime accidents could cause major, perhaps catastrophic, damage to the span," prompting one of the top aides in the New York state governor's office to refer to the Tappan Zee as the “hold-your-breath bridge.”