water wise
Water Wise farmers build earth dams: Part 7 – The core of the dam and construction methods
The core must consist of the densest available material at the site, such as clay. The material must be moist and well compacted or rolled in thin layers of uniform thickness. If the clay is too wet, the wall will be unstable. The different layers must be built up[...]
Water wise farmers build earth dams: Part 5 – Construction factors of a dam wall
by Jan van Heerden, M Eng Tec A dam wall may seem to be a simple construction, but when you are dealing with the incredible force that water exerts, you have to be very careful with your calculations, building procedures and particularly with your building materials. Crest width of[...]
Water wise farmers build earth dams – Part 3: Design essentials
by Jan van Heerden, M.Eng Tec The dam design in this series is limited to dams of which the maximum water depth does not exceed eight metres. Dam outlets The spilling of the dam must be designed and constructed in such a way that no flood damage is caused.[...]
Water wise farmers build earth dams – Part 2: Building cost and natural losses of stored water
by Jan van Heerden, M.Eng Tec Dams can be expensive to build and therefore a farmer should do his calculations and planning very carefully to prevent those hidden costs from rising out of control. Water seepage can also be a huge unplanned expense, but it can be reduced to[...]
Water wise farmers build earth dams – Part 1: Types of dams
by Jan van Heerden, M.Eng Tec Earth dams protect a farmer against potential devastating dry spells and this month we start a new series on this huge, but important construction. It is a huge initial expense to build an earth dam, but the long term benefits exceed the capital[...]