A 'gravity dam' remains stable primarily due to:
Choose the correct answer
Arch action transferring load to abutments
Its own weight (self-weight) resisting overturning and sliding from water pressure
Buttresses on downstream side
Tension in the base slab
Correct Answer
B. Its own weight (self-weight) resisting overturning and sliding from water pressure
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Gravity dam: plain concrete or masonry structure resisting water pressure by its own weight. Stability conditions: no overturning (resultant falls within middle third), no sliding (FOS ≥ 1.5; μW > P), no overstressing (allowable compressive stress not exceeded), no uplift exceeding design. Self-weight is the primary stabilising force. Cross-section is triangular.
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