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Why did the Latyan Dam in Iran use flexible seals between buttress heads?
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dam
ItaipĂș Dam on the Upper ParanĂĄ River, north of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.
The Latyan Dam in Iran utilized flexible seals between its buttress heads to accommodate potential movement in the dam's foundations.1
In engineering, when buttress foundations are expected to yieldâparticularly in seismically active regionsâdesigners must allow for relative movement between the buttress heads. By enlarging these heads until they are nearly touching and connecting them with flexible seals, the structure maintains a solid, continuous face against the water while remaining capable of shifting safely if the foundation moves. This specific configuration is known as a massive head buttress dam.1