Hoover Dam

Introduction
 Concrete dam in Black Canyon,
on the border between Arizona and
Nevada
 Named after Herbert Hoover,
who played an important role in
its construction
 Located near Boulder City,
Nevada 36°0′56″N 114°44′16″W
 Built by Six-Companies, Inc.
 Lake Mead is the reservoir
constructed behind the dam
 The Need for a Dam
 Turbulent Colorado River periodically flood vast
areas of California and Arizona
 The flood destroyed canals built for irrigation and
drinkable water
 Herbert Hoover proposed construction of the high
dam to solve the problems
Resources
 5200 workers on the construction with 3
shifts/day
 5 millions barrel of cement used in the
concrete
 9,000 tons of structured steel components
 44,000 tons of large steel pipe and fittings
 Giant cooling towers
Time Management
 Composite bid was accepted for $50 mil
by Six Companies in March 6 ,1931
 Construction began in April 20, 1931
 June 1931, sufficient housing facilities
were in place
 Construction was completed in March 1,
1936
 The construction was completed 2 years
ahead of schedule
Project Management

Dam construction was divided into 3 areas:

 Diversion tunnels and penstocks
 Concrete arched structure
 Power plant
Diversion tunnels and penstocks

 Four diversion tunnels were driven through the

canyon walls, two on the Nevada side and two on
the Arizona side. These tunnels were 56 feet (17
m) in diameter. Their combined length was
nearly 5 km.
 Four of the huge 30-foot-diameter pipes that can
transport nearly 90,000 gallons of water each
second from Lake Mead to the dam's
hydroelectric generators.
Salient Features
Official name Hoover Dam
Clark County, Nevada /Mohave County,
Location Arizona, U.S.
Power, flood control, water storage,
Purpose regulation, recreation
Status In use
Construction began 1931
Opening date 1936
Construction cost $49 million ($836 million with inflation)
Owner(s) United States Government
Operator(s) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Concrete gravity-arch
Impounds Colorado River
Height 726.4 ft (221.4 m)
Length 1,244 ft (379 m)
Elevation at crest 1,232 ft (376 m)
Width (crest) 45 ft (14 m)
Width (base) 660 ft (200 m)
Dam volume 3,250,000 cu yd (2,480,000 m3)
Spillway type 2 controlled drum-gate
Spillway capacity 400,000 cu ft/s (11,000 m3/s)
Reservoir
Creates Lake Mead
Total capacity 28,537,000 acre·ft (35.200 km3)
Active capacity 15,853,000 acre·ft (19.554 km3)
Inactive capacity 10,024,000 acre·ft (12.364 km3)
Catchment area 167,800 sq mi (435,000 km2)
Surface area 247 sq mi (640 km2)[1]
Max. length 112 mi (180 km)
Max. water depth 590 ft (180 m)
Normal elevation 1,219 ft (372 m)
Power station
Operator(s) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Commission date 1936 - 1961
Hydraulic head 590 ft (180 m) (Max)
Turbines 13× 130 MW
2× 127 MW
1× 68.5 MW
1× 61.5 MW Francis-type
2× 2.4 MW Pelton-type
Installed capacity 2,080 MW
Annual generation 4.2 billion kWh[2]
Powerplant in Hoover dam
 From 1939 to 1949, Hoover Powerplant was
the world's largest hydroelectric installation;
today, it is still one of the country's largest.
 Serves 1.3 million people
 powerplant located In a U-shaped structure
at the base of the dam.
 Each powerplant wing is 650 feet long (the
length of almost 2 football fields) and rise
299 feet (nearly 20 stories) above the
powerplant foundation.
 In all of the galleries of the plant there are
10 acres of floor space.
U-shaped structure
Hoover Powerplant capacity
 There 17 main turbines in the Hoover
Powerplant -- nine on the Arizona wing
and eight on the Nevada wing.
 The original turbines were replaced
through an uprating program between
1986 and 1993.
 The plant has a nameplate capacity of
about 2,080 megawatts.
 the plant has a rated capacity of
2,998,000 horsepower.
How does the water reach the
turbines?
 Through four penstocks, two on each side
of the river. Wicket gates control water
delivery to the units.
panoramic view from the Arizona
side showing the penstock towers
Under what heads do the turbines
operate?
 Maximum head (vertical distance the
water travels): 590 feet.
 Minimum:420 feet.
 Average:510 to 530 feet.
How was the powerplant
machinery transported from the
canyon rim to the powerplant?

 An electrically operated cableway of 150

tons rated capacity, with a 1,200-foot
span across the canyon, lowered all heavy
and bulky equipment. The cableway is still
used when necessary.
Generators of Hoover power plant
References
 www.hoover-dam.weebly.com
 www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
 www.IEE.hooverdam.powershow.com
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HooverDam
THANK YOU