The Marèges Dam is a concrete arch dam on the Dordogne River. It is located 4 km (2 mi) southeast of Liginiac in Corrèze department, France. It was constructed between 1932 and 1935 by the Railway Company du Midi. Its primary purpose is the generation of hydroelectricity and the original power station contained four Francis turbine-generators.

Marèges Dam
Marèges Dam is located in France
Marèges Dam
Location of Marèges Dam in France
Official nameBarrage de Marèges
CountryFrance
LocationLiginiac
Coordinates45°23′30″N 2°21′51″E / 45.39167°N 2.36417°E / 45.39167; 2.36417
StatusOperational
Construction began1932
Opening date1935
Owner(s)Société Hydroélectrique du Midi (SHEM)
Dam and spillways
Type of damConcrete arch, double-curvature
Height89.5 m (294 ft)
Length198 m (650 ft)
Elevation at crest408 m (1,339 ft)
Width (crest)3 m (10 ft)
Width (base)19 m (62 ft)
Dam volume185,000 m3 (241,971 cu yd)
Reservoir
Total capacity47,000,000 m3 (38,104 acre⋅ft)[1]
Catchment area2,540 km2 (981 sq mi)
Surface area1.2 km2 (297 acres)[2]
Power Station
Commission date1935/1988
Turbines4 x 37.5 MW Francis-type, 1 x 122 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity272 MW[3]
Annual generation338 GWh[4]

The dam and its power plant was built to help France become less dependent on costly energy resource imports after World War I.[5] The fifth Francis turbine-generator, rated at 122 MW, at the Saint Pierre power station, on the left bank of the river, was commissioned in 1988.[6]

The dam, designed by André Coyne, incorporated several innovative features to include a ski-jump spillway, the right abutment anchored with a prestressed cables and monitored with vibrating wire sensors (emitting an audible signals like a guitar), and a new cofferdam design.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Marèges Dam". Structurae. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  2. ^ "Mareges" (in French). Comité Francais des Barrages et Réservoirs. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Marèges Dam". Industry About. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Dams Dordogne" (in French). Dams of the Dordogne. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Marèges (1935)". Planete-TP. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Mareges Group" (in French). SHEM. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
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