I Dam well will and you dam well will too. (Hoover Dam)

Member Name: garymarsh6

Product:	Hoover Dam
Date:	15/09/09 (146 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fascinating marvel of mans achievements.

Disadvantages: None

Hoover Dam.


Where is it.

The Hoover Dam can be found about 30 miles South East from Las Vegas on the borders of Nevada and Arizona at Black Canyon.


Why build a Dam.

Every year the great Colorado River used to flood the plains of a number of Western states causing havoc, death and destruction. At one time there was one area that looked like an inland sea after some devastating rains which added to the normal flooding of the plains. The Colorado River begins its journey of over 1,400 miles from the Rocky Mountains caused by the melting snow. It passes through seven States including Wyoming, Utah Colorado, Nevada, Arizona New Mexico and California on its journey providing water for about 25 million people. Because of the complexities of provision of water various laws and a treaty had to be passed to ensure the supply of water to various states and also with Mexico.


Exploration work began as early as the late 1800's to discover the best site for a dam to be built. The site they chose was at a place called Black Canyon 30 miles from Las Vegas. There was no towns or villages near the site and because it was around the time of the great depression and word of mouth spread about the construction of the dam requiring a work force of approximately 21,000 men a mass migration of workers headed towards Las Vegas.

Where to house the workers was a problem at the beginning of the project most of the workers lived in tents, cars and ramshackle huts made of wood,cardboard and sheeting. They named this town ragtown due to the materials used.

The temperatures were very extreme as it was in the middle of the dessert and temperatures were already in the 90's at the start of the building of the dam rising to in excess of 120 degrees in the day time. There was no time to waste so work not only started on preparatory work for construction of the dam but also to build housing for the construction workers. The city built for the workers was named boulder city.
New roads and the railway line was extended to bring in materials necessary for the construction of the site.



Building the Dam.


Work began in March 1931 which would take 5 years to complete with the loss of 112 lives. It was a massive project due to the force of the great Colorado River which had to be diverted for work to be started on the dam. Four massive tunnels were blasted with dynamite through the rocks to divert the river. Once the river had been diverted all the silt had to be removed so that work could start on solid bedrock.



Work was slow to begin with and as the dam was built with concrete which heats up once it is mixed it was estimated that it would take 125 years for the concrete to cool down. Not only that because it would take such a long time it would set at different times causing the concrete to become fragile and it cause the dam to be weak and it would break up. A new idea to cool the concrete was to put pipe work through the concrete that would carry cold water from the Colorado River and then icy cold water cooled at a cooling plant which would speed up the cooling process and cool the concrete faster. 582 miles of 1 inch piping was used in total. Once each sections of concrete had been laid and cooled down sufficiently the pipes would be cut off and left in situ. The same would happen at the next layer of concrete to be laid until eventually the dam would be built.

The working conditions were very hard for these men working long hours in two shifts 24 hours a day. It was extremely dangerous work because of the use of dynamite to clear the solid rock and several men were killed in the explosions. At one time three men were inspecting the inside of one of the blasted tunnels when all of a sudden the roof collapsed. Two of the men quickly unearthed themselves called out for the other man but to no avail. They raised the alarm and builders raced to the area to help retrieve the other man. What had happened was that the guy had seen the rood collapse and legged it outside after having a drink of water he ran back in and helped to clear the rubble. All of a sudden he looked at the man next to him and asked who they were digging out and searching for. The other guy replied you, you jerk. 1,500 men were treated every month in the first aid stations around the dam and anyone complaining of the harsh working conditions was sacked immediately on the spot as there was a ready supply of men to take their places.


The building of the dam took five years and finished two years ahead of schedule and it created the Man made lake behind the dam called Lake Mead. It is a phenomenal structure and the inside of the dam are massive turbines which produce electricity that lights up not only Las Vegas but other major towns on the East coast. Other dams had to be built along the course of the Colorado River but at that time the Hoover dam was the tallest and biggest dam ever built by man to control the rapid flowing river.


The dam measures 782 feet high and is 660 foot thick at the base and 45 feet thick at the top. It is 1,244 feet long and there is a road the crosses the top of the dam connecting Nevada to Arizona. It has four inlet towers built inside the lake which lets water in to pass through the massive turbines deep inside the dam walls. What is bizarre is that you can stand in the middle of the dam on the foot path you can actually be in two states and two time zones at the same time. On top of the dam are two clocks which indicate the different time zones.

Today approximately 16,000 people cross the dam as it is quite a tourist attraction however a diversionary road is under construction to ease the flow of traffic.


The Hoover dam as a tourist attraction.


We drove from Las Vegas down towards the dam passing boulder city on route. We drove across the top of the dam and parked at one of the view points on the Arizona side of the Dam. On the Arizona side of the dam the road is quite winding twisting and turning until you reach the top and affording some fantastic views form the view point.

After walking across the dam and spending time taking photos and looking at both sides of the dam at Lake Mead with its four water inlet towers and then the opposite side where the water having gone through the turbines and spewing out into the continuing Colorado river.

On the Nevada side of the dam there is an exhibition centre that shows displays of how the dam was constructed and the type of tools they used. Once you have watched a small film you can look around the displays then head towards a manned lift. Of course there are security measures to go through before going into the lift. There are of course security checks of handbags and rucksacks. This exhibition is really fascinating and in some ways an accolade to those who died and who were involved in its construction. There are lots of useful facts and interesting pieces of information inside the exhibition.

Entering the lift which holds about 25 people you are whisked quite quickly to the base of the dam. Walking along a tunnel you reach the turbine rooms which house the massive turbines. It is a massive structure and they even use cars inside the dam to move from one side to the other. You view the massive turbine hall from a platform high above the floor and there are armed police patrols along the inside of the dam

What is very beautiful about the inside of the dam it is spotlessly clean and has retained its art deco features. The floor covering is very ornate and quite beautiful. I thought that perhaps it was going to be a bit claustrophobic and before we went to the states I was beginning to get into quite a panic about being inside the dam but I never felt claustrophobic at all and would recommend anyone with this fear to go in. I know it's an irrational fear but I feel very uncomfortable about being inside and also I have a fear of heights which is quite terrible as it does prevent you from doing certain activities.


After visiting the turbine hall you have to return to the top again so back through the tunnels to the lift that lifts you rapidly to the top of the dam again.

At the top of the Dam there is a memorial to honour those who died in during the construction of the dam which is a remarkable structure. Ironically the first person who died was a surveyor J.G. Tierney and the last person to die at the dam was his son P.W.Tierney exactly 13 years to the day. There is a souvenir shop and cafeteria overlooking Lake Mead.


Practical information.


To reach the dam one has to drive on highway 93 to reach it parking is available on both sides of the Dam.

The visitor centre opens at 09:00 to 18:00

Cost of tickets.

Hoover dam tour including admission to exhibition centre and visit to the turbine hall.
Adults $11
Child $9

Admission to the exhibition hall only.

Adult $8
Child $8


Would I recommend a visit to the Dam?

Yes I would. I found it absolutely fascinating not only the walk across the top of the dam but the exhibition and the tour deep inside the dam itself. I learnt a lot about the construction and the harsh conditions about the building of the dam and often think about the trip there which lasted a morning and was well worth it and enjoyable.
I would recommend you combine the dam trip in the morning and then in the afternoon take a paddle steamer tour on Lake Mead it was a fascinating day out and you can get to see the dam from so many different angles.

This is a definitely a five star attraction.


Information can be obtained from the government website as follows:

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/

Summary: A brilliant day out at a modern wonder of a man made achievement.