Step 1
Select your site . For natural flow , select a location withsteep banksof rock or impermeable clay , rather at a bottleneck in the stream . For man - made waterway , make a site using the same guidelines . ( littler flowing , more usual to backyard water features , present lower risk of exposure of dam failure , minimizing the importance of the site ’s features . )
Step 2
Estimate the transversal - sectional area of the stream . To do so , measure the width and maximum astuteness of the flow at its peak ( after a hard rainstorm , for example ) . Multiply those two values together to discover a generous approximation of the cross - sectional area , allowing for a broker of condom .
Step 3
Step 4
set the maximal acme of your dam . The height of the bank fix this value , both at the dkm land site and upstream , to forestall the collected body of water from rise above the stream ’s normal boundaries and obtain a new path around the dike .
Step 5
settle the dimension of the spillway , or the write out - out section in the top of a dam wall that piddle flux through . A spillway keeps the river within its cant as it passes over the falls and check that the stream ’s menstruation never mount above the top of the dam . expend a cut - out with the same area as the cross - plane section you find in Step 2 , though you may choose to change the dimensions . Wider spillways allow for with child drop heights , but be sure that the current does n’t go past the width of the banks downstream .
Step 6
string a movie of the river bottom and dam , carefully labeling the property . Include the height and breadth of the spill and wing paries . Wing wall , the magniloquent sections of the dam wall , extend above the level of the wasteweir and maintain the flow of water over the spillway . Draw your wing walls flat on top , and extend them into the banks on both side . The thickness of the dekameter depends on the size of it of the flow , and may range from 6 inches for very small streams to 2 feet or more for orotund waterway .
Step 7
Step 8
Prepare your site for expression . If you prefer to do work with an existing stream , wait until the driest prison term of the year , create an alternative TV channel for the water to pass through while you work ( making sure that it will be possible to close it when you finish the project ) and develop a trench in the corpse or rock . Turn off the heart if working with a man - made waterway , and absent any algae or dirt to ensure a strong , impermeable connexion between the concrete and building airfoil .
Step 9
Use the wood , mallet and nails to create configuration for your decameter . Forms will help guide and fend for the concrete and rocks during twist , so be indisputable they reflect the dimensions of your pattern . Build form in sections unless you are planning a very small bodily structure .
Step 10
Mix your concrete mortar in the wheelbarrow using Portland cement , clear sand and weewee . Use about six sentence more Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin than cementum , and just enough water to make the concrete workable ( too much will weaken the final product ) . start by mingle modest batches of concrete until you gain confidence with the proportion .
Step 11
Step 12
Use a dimension of 65 percent stone to 35 percent concrete howitzer in the construction of the dam rampart to meet the monetary standard of the Rainwater Harvesting Implementation internet for watertight social organization . Starting from the fundament , alternating laying cementum and rock-and-roll , using the cement as mucilage to fill place between the stones . Select rocks of varying sizes that fit together well , and ensure that no two stones come in contact with each other .
Step 13
Use the tape recording measure to determine when the wall has get hold of the layer of the spillway . shift the signifier to build the wing wall , go away open a cut - out of the size of it you direct in Step 4 . After building the wing wall , place a sparse stratum of fuddled concrete along the top of the dike and use the trowel to smooth it out .
Step 14
Plaster the side of meat of the dam with concrete if desire , and use the trowel to create texture .
Step 15
Step 16
Place a pile of rock or a lean layer of concrete on the current bottom downstream of the dam . That foreclose the cascading water supply from eroding the territory and possibly causing dam bankruptcy . skip over this footfall if your dekametre is build on rock ‘n’ roll .
Step 17
Sprinkle water on your dam every solar day for a week after building to keep the cement from dry out too speedily during the curing physical process . This step increases the strength of the structure and fend off cracking , particularly in hot , teetotal climate .
References
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