698:. This overbuilding was attributed to "a great timidity on the part of the Belgian engineers, who were fully impressed with the great body of water they were going to store … and the calamity the failure of the dam would cause." While recognizing that the amount of water the Gileppe dam would retain far exceeded that of its predecessors at Alicante and Furens, the engineers themselves also maintained that they were allowing for a heightening of the dam in future, should the need arise for greater storage. By the 1960s, it had been decided that the dam did indeed require an increase of height. From 1967 to 1971, it was raised by a little over 16 meters. The dam was reinaugurated 20 October 1971 under
45:
29:
726:
683:
553:
761:(nearly 661,387 pounds) and stands 13.5 meters tall (over 44 feet). In 1970, during work to heighten the dam, the lion was dismantled and moved as a precaution. After the dam construction was completed, it took 40 days to restore the lion to its eastward-facing position atop the wall. A lion is sometimes used as an emblem in promotional materials and tourist brochures for the Vesdre area.
52:
580:
with
Donckier and Jamblinnes. Water distribution was studied by Cariez and Moulon. The site chosen for the dam is 1500 meters from the confluence of the Gileppe and Vesdre, where the valley narrows and the geological formation allowed for building the axis of the dam parallel to that of the vertical
543:
The main function of the
Gileppe Dam in the 21st century is to provide drinking water. As these needs are met, surplus water is turbinated. In 1997, the Gileppe Dam produced 3,255,525 cubic metres of drinking water. Although capacity is small, the Vesdre basin is one of the few places in Belgium to
615:
Before the foundations were laid, two subterranean channels were dug, one on each side, through which the
Gileppe river was diverted during construction. Afterward, these became conduits for cast-iron outlet pipes used to draw water from two 2.8m-diameter wells placed in the reservoir.
623:
in a total amount of 248480 cubic meters (325,000 cubic yards). The faces are finished with shaped blocks, between .45 and .3m thick and .6–.4m long. The ends dovetail into solid rock, cut into 1m steps. The sandstone or limestone for the wall came from area
820:
659:
It was remarked as late as 1907 that "the average yearly work of over 54,000 cubic yards has probably never been surpassed in the construction of any other single structure." The daily work per man averaged 2.6 to 3.2 cubic yards (1.98–2.44 cubic meters).
717:." Treating the water to make it less acidic would decrease its efficiency in washing wool. The solution was to lay pipe to divert water for industrial use from a treatment plant to improve drinking quality. The plant has been operational since 1992.
576:. These negotiations collapsed by 1864, and Bidaut turned his attention to the Gileppe, a tributary of the Vesdre entirely within the jurisdiction of the Belgian ministry. Throughout the 1860s, Bidaut undertook engineering studies for the
535:
Bidaut. The goal was to provide the river Vesdre with about 3,000,000 cubic metres of water for the year, and 14,600,704 cubic metres to industry (8,808,000 gallons a day). After delays, a design was submitted in 1868 to the
690:
When the reservoir was first filled, water leaked through the dam at a rate of about 5,300 gallons a day. Although the leakage slowed, four years later moisture could still be observed on the downstream face.
564:
assigned the study of the water supply to Bidaut, a chief engineer within the ministry, in
September 1857. Originally the plan was to impound the upper Vesdre, in a joint project with the town of
1399:
1365:
Overbuilding discussed at length by Bodnon, Detienne, LeClercq, pp. 632ff., with mathematical computations; possibility of extending the height at p. 642. See also
Wegmann, p. 82.
1006:
527:
downstream. In the summer, when water levels were at their lowest, the industry faced shortages, and the local population relied on a limited supply of drinking water from
1185:
The first names of these engineers are not recorded in the sources used for this article; J. Huberty, "L'Hertogenwald belge: le
Barrage de la Gileppe, les Hautes fagnes,"
906:
According to
Structurae. The crest length of the original construction is given as 235 metres (771 feet) and base length as 82 metres (269 feet) by Edward Wegmann,
694:
The profile was criticized as overengineered. An estimated 75 percent of its masonry was considered "useless," in contrast to the "scientific design" of the
381:
in Europe at the time, and it was the first dam built in modern
Belgium. In the first decade of the 21st century, it was noted as supplying most of the
855:
M. Bodnon, E. Detienne, F. LeClercq, "Le
Barrage de la Gileppe," Revue universelle des mines, de la métallurgie, de travaux publics 39 (1876), p. 650.
977:
628:
located no closer than 50 meters (164 feet) from the site and at a higher elevation than the crown. Building materials were transported on two
1032:
108:
44:
537:
520:
1404:
597:
929:
414:
1247:
1215:
1161:
667:, 25 meters wide (82 feet), situated 2 meters (6.58 feet) below the crown and following the slopes of the hillside.
1389:
775:
561:
421:
738:
1394:
784:
9 (1904) 262–270. Detailed description (in
English) of the works, based on Bodnon, Detienne, and LeClercq.
593:
1061:
671:
629:
366:
961:
919:
Wegmann gives 15 metres (49.22 feet) for the width at the top and 65.82 metres (216.5 feet) at the base
801:
734:
585:
528:
374:
507:, before it was shipped for manufacture in Germany and Austria. Wool washing was facilitated by the
710:
699:
346:
88:
72:
592:
in France. The dam's "extremely conservative proportions" were shaped by the engineering ideas of
28:
705:
The high acidity of the reservoir water corroded the original 19th-century lead pipes and led to
304:
890:
844:
713:
at Verviers began to study the problem, but had to drop their research "under pressure from the
695:
682:
390:
386:
334:
725:
619:
The foundations were sunk to a depth of 1 meter into the rock. The wall was constructed of
1409:
932:
The original capacity was 12,000,000m, according to Easton Devonshire, "The Gileppe Dam,"
552:
516:
297:
706:
653:
620:
569:
382:
314:
1383:
714:
515:
river, which proved to be insufficient; moreover, water was returned to the river so
504:
291:
162:
821:
Belgisch tijdschrift voor nieuwste geschiedenis-Revue belge d'histoire contemporaine
816:
Le Barrage de la Gileppe: Un financement des industriels, de la ville our de l'état?
491:
for Verviers, the center of the wool industry in Belgium. Wool was imported through
508:
488:
263:
815:
1244:
Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastwood and the Control of Water in the West
1072:
Abstract in English translation of M. Bodson, E. Detienne, and F. LeClercq (see
645:
608:
Work began in 1868 and continued for ten years. The dam was built by a crew of
754:
1009:, quoting a report to the Belgian government by the project's chief engineer.
436:
423:
123:
110:
897:, p. 81, give a height of 47 metres (154.2 feet) for the original structure.
746:
641:
577:
600:. The plan was accepted in 1867. The contractors were Braive and Caillet.
742:
633:
532:
500:
362:
350:
174:
92:
945:
Originally the reservoir covered 80 hectares, according to Devonshire,
750:
649:
612:
numbering from 80 to 100, under the direction of eight to ten foremen.
609:
573:
524:
492:
370:
369:
played an important role in establishing an international standard for
354:
338:
207:
96:
974:
Big Dams of the New Deal Era: A Confluence of Engineering and Politics
957:
955:
787:
Abstract in English translation of Bodson, Detienne, and LeClercq in
625:
512:
342:
84:
636:
for the rubble blocks was compacted from four parts sand, one part
589:
1174:
Revue universelle des mines, de la métallurgie, de travaux publics
772:
Revue universelle des mines, de la métallurgie, de travaux publics
758:
724:
681:
637:
565:
551:
1172:
M. Bodnon, E. Detienne, F. LeClercq, "Le Barrage de la Gileppe,"
770:
M. Bodnon, E. Detienne, F. LeClercq, "Le Barrage de la Gileppe,"
1114:
p. 312, converting amounts given in cubic yards to cubic metres.
664:
496:
358:
1003:
Transactions of the British Association of Waterworks Engineers
934:
Transactions of the British Association of Waterworks Engineers
782:
Transactions of the British Association of Waterworks Engineers
511:
of the water. Originally, the industry's water source was the
378:
194:
1102:
Monsieur Bidaut's first name remains elusive in the sources.
1078:
Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
875:
Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
789:
Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
1020:
EUwareness Case Study Report 1: Vesdre River Basin, Belgium
531:. A dam was proposed, with studies to be undertaken by the
1134:
1132:
1022:(Université Catholique de Louvain, 2002), pp. 7 and 15.
1187:
Bulletin de la Société Centrale Forestiére de Belgique
1310:
1308:
1197:
1195:
487:
In the 19th century, the dam was built to ensure the
365:. The monumental structure with its unusually thick
357:. It was built in the 1870s to supply water for the
476:
465:
460:
452:
413:
406:
313:
303:
290:
285:
277:
269:
259:
254:
246:
238:
230:
214:
203:
193:
188:
180:
170:
157:
149:
139:
102:
80:
67:
21:
1339:
1337:
1298:
1296:
1294:
1246:(University of Oklahoma Press, 2005), pp. 22–23
663:Flood waters were released through two overflow
928:Belgian Tourist Office: Wallonia and Brussels,
584:Bidaut was influenced in particular by dams at
839:
837:
749:. Formed of 183 blocks of sandstone from the
8:
976:(University of Oklahoma Press, 2006), p. 34
990:The Early Years of Modern Civil Engineering
972:David P. Billington and Donald C. Jackson,
1400:Buildings and structures in Liège Province
1073:
403:
27:
18:
1214:Bodnon, Detienne, LeClercq, pp. 613, 632
652:, which was known for the quality of its
456:foot traffic; no longer open for vehicles
377:. It was considered one of the strongest
199:Gravity dam (masonry earth- and rockfill)
709:in the area. One report claims that the
670:The dam was inaugurated 28 July 1878 by
1080:48 (1877), p. 312, henceforth cited as
1031:Including the Gileppe Trophy triathlon
833:
373:gravity dams as a technology for major
1229:, p. 304, note 73, summarizing Smith,
1001:Easton Devonshire, "The Gileppe Dam,"
992:(Yale University Press, 1932), p. 209.
885:
883:
864:Estimate in dollars by Wegmann, p. 82.
780:Easton Devonshire, "The Gileppe Dam,"
7:
1286:The Design and Construction of Dams
962:Historique du Barrage de la Gileppe
908:The Design and Construction of Dams
796:The Design and Construction of Dams
472:roadway 7m, footway 4m on each side
51:
499:at Verviers, situated between the
59:Location of Gileppe Dam in Belgium
14:
1288:(New York, 1907, 5th ed.), p. 81.
1271:Huberty, "L'Hertogenwald belge,"
1018:David Aubin and Frédéric Varone,
910:(New York, 1907, 5th ed.), p. 81.
556:Gileppe dam, view from above 2009
523:and was blamed for the spread of
741:, noted for his public lions in
184:Service public de Wallonie (SPW)
50:
43:
895:Design and Construction of Dams
1:
774:39 (1876) 610–650, full text
678:Leakage and reservoir acidity
33:View from above in April 2007
1374:Aubin and Varone, pp. 23–24.
1327:Wegmann, p. 82; Devonshire,
873:Estimate in pounds given by
791:48 (1877), pp. 312–314.
1426:
988:R.S. Kirby, P.G. Laurson,
798:(New York, 1907, 5th ed.).
737:created by Belgian artist
686:Profile of the Gileppe Dam
568:, also located within the
735:monumental lion sculpture
572:and at that time part of
481:
385:for Verviers, as well as
38:
26:
1147:Aubin and Varone, p. 15.
1138:Aubin and Varone, p. 18.
1093:Aubin and Varone, p. 23.
733:The dam was topped by a
640:delivered in lumps from
596:, F. Emile Delocre, and
538:Minister of Public Works
16:Dam in Wallonia, Belgium
1176:39 (1876), pp. 615–616.
729:Bouré's monumental lion
305:Installed capacity
140:Construction began
1405:Dams completed in 1878
1060:(London, 1937), p. 94
730:
687:
594:J. Augustine DeSazilly
557:
519:that it destroyed the
315:Annual generation
158:Construction cost
1074:Selected bibliography
765:Selected bibliography
728:
685:
630:narrow-gauge railways
604:Original construction
555:
331:Barrage de la Gileppe
195:Type of dam
166:($ 874,000, £182,000)
73:Barrage de la Gileppe
544:produce hydropower.
505:Carboniferous region
375:water supply systems
145:(heightened 1967–71)
124:50.58917°N 5.97444°E
1242:Donald C. Jackson,
739:Antoine-Félix Bouré
711:faculty of medicine
548:Planning and design
433: /
389:, and as producing
361:industry in nearby
270:Total capacity
120: /
1058:Economic Geography
877:48 (1877), p. 314.
824:17 (1986) 163–186.
802:Informational sign
731:
688:
562:Belgian government
558:
437:50.5878°N 5.9744°E
408:Gileppe Dam bridge
1390:Arch-gravity dams
1005:9 (1904), p. 263
936:9 (1904), p. 270.
644:, and five parts
485:
484:
323:
322:
278:Surface area
239:Width (base)
189:Dam and spillways
150:Opening date
129:50.58917; 5.97444
1417:
1375:
1372:
1366:
1363:
1357:
1352:Wegmann, p. 82;
1350:
1344:
1341:
1332:
1325:
1319:
1312:
1303:
1300:
1289:
1284:Edward Wegmann,
1282:
1276:
1269:
1263:
1256:
1250:
1240:
1234:
1224:
1218:
1212:
1206:
1199:
1190:
1189:3 (1896), p. 66.
1183:
1177:
1170:
1164:
1154:
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1139:
1136:
1127:
1121:
1115:
1109:
1103:
1100:
1094:
1091:
1085:
1070:
1064:
1056:John McFarlane,
1054:
1048:
1041:
1035:
1029:
1023:
1016:
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999:
993:
986:
980:
970:
964:
959:
950:
943:
937:
926:
920:
917:
911:
904:
898:
887:
878:
871:
865:
862:
856:
853:
847:
841:
814:Paul Delforge, "
794:Edward Wegmann,
757:, it weighs 300
448:
447:
445:
444:
443:
438:
434:
431:
430:
429:
426:
404:
391:hydroelectricity
387:industrial water
335:arch-gravity dam
135:
134:
132:
131:
130:
125:
121:
118:
117:
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54:
53:
47:
31:
19:
1425:
1424:
1420:
1419:
1418:
1416:
1415:
1414:
1395:Dams in Belgium
1380:
1379:
1378:
1373:
1369:
1364:
1360:
1351:
1347:
1343:Wegmann, p. 82.
1342:
1335:
1326:
1322:
1313:
1306:
1302:Wegmann, p. 81.
1301:
1292:
1283:
1279:
1270:
1266:
1257:
1253:
1241:
1237:
1231:History of Dams
1225:
1221:
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1184:
1180:
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1151:
1146:
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1038:
1030:
1026:
1017:
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1000:
996:
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918:
914:
905:
901:
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859:
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842:
835:
831:
811:
809:Further reading
767:
723:
680:
672:King Leopold II
606:
550:
521:fish population
461:Characteristics
442:50.5878; 5.9744
441:
439:
435:
432:
427:
424:
422:
420:
419:
409:
402:
399:
319:3.3 million kWh
296:two horizontal
247:Dam volume
222:
165:
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128:
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5:
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1397:
1392:
1382:
1381:
1377:
1376:
1367:
1358:
1356:, pp. 312–313.
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1251:
1235:
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1128:
1116:
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994:
981:
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799:
792:
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778:
766:
763:
722:
719:
715:industrialists
707:lead poisoning
679:
676:
654:hydraulic lime
621:rubble masonry
605:
602:
598:W.J.M. Rankine
549:
546:
503:and Belgium's
483:
482:
479:
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463:
462:
458:
457:
454:
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449:
417:
411:
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407:
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398:
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383:drinking water
347:Liège province
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89:Liège province
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36:
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1125:
1120:
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797:
793:
790:
786:
783:
779:
777:
773:
769:
768:
764:
762:
760:
756:
752:
748:
744:
740:
736:
727:
720:
718:
716:
712:
708:
703:
701:
700:King Baudouin
697:
692:
684:
677:
675:
673:
668:
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661:
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655:
651:
647:
643:
639:
635:
631:
627:
622:
617:
613:
611:
603:
601:
599:
595:
591:
588:in Spain and
587:
582:
581:rock strata.
579:
575:
571:
567:
563:
554:
547:
545:
541:
539:
534:
530:
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405:
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388:
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344:
340:
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328:
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286:Power Station
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276:
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268:
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79:
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68:Official name
66:
46:
37:
30:
25:
20:
1370:
1361:
1353:
1348:
1329:Transactions
1328:
1323:
1316:Transactions
1315:
1314:Devonshire,
1285:
1280:
1272:
1267:
1260:Transactions
1259:
1258:Devonshire,
1254:
1243:
1238:
1230:
1226:
1222:
1210:
1203:Transactions
1202:
1201:Devonshire,
1186:
1181:
1173:
1168:
1158:Transactions
1157:
1156:Devonshire,
1152:
1143:
1123:
1119:
1111:
1107:
1098:
1089:
1081:
1077:
1068:
1057:
1052:
1045:Transactions
1044:
1043:Devonshire,
1039:
1027:
1019:
1014:
1002:
997:
989:
984:
973:
968:
947:Transactions
946:
941:
933:
930:Gileppe Dam.
924:
915:
907:
902:
894:
889:Structurae,
874:
869:
860:
851:
843:Structurae,
819:
795:
788:
781:
771:
732:
704:
693:
689:
669:
662:
658:
618:
614:
607:
583:
559:
542:
509:high acidity
489:water supply
486:
469:
330:
326:
324:
298:Francis-type
281:130 hectares
273:26,400,000 m
264:Lake Gileppe
223:
221:51.76 metres
218:
153:28 July 1878
71:
893:; Wegmann,
891:Gileppe Dam
845:Gileppe Dam
804:at the dam.
646:slaked lime
440: /
415:Coordinates
327:Gileppe Dam
181:Operator(s)
163:Belgian fr.
127: /
103:Coordinates
22:Gileppe Dam
1384:Categories
829:References
755:Luxembourg
753:valley in
696:Furens Dam
425:50°35′16″N
397:Background
250:248480.3 m
234:365 meters
161:4,549,000
112:50°35′21″N
1331:, p. 264.
1262:, p. 262.
1205:, p. 263.
1160:, p. 262
1047:, p. 624.
949:, p. 270.
747:Charleroi
642:Andernach
578:reservoir
570:watershed
428:5°58′28″E
341:river in
255:Reservoir
242:66 metres
226:68 metres
115:5°58′28″E
1275:, p. 66.
1273:Bulletin
1227:Big Dams
743:Brussels
721:The lion
634:grouting
626:quarries
586:Alicante
533:engineer
517:polluted
501:Ardennes
477:Location
363:Verviers
351:Wallonia
333:) is an
329:(French
309:0.633 MW
292:Turbines
224:Present:
204:Impounds
175:Wallonia
171:Owner(s)
93:Wallonia
81:Location
76:(French)
1354:Minutes
1318:p. 264.
1248:online.
1216:online.
1162:online.
1126:p. 312.
1124:Minutes
1112:Minutes
1082:Minutes
1062:online.
978:online.
776:online.
650:Tournai
574:Prussia
529:springs
525:malaria
493:Antwerp
453:Carries
371:masonry
367:profile
355:Belgium
339:Gileppe
337:on the
260:Creates
208:Gileppe
97:Belgium
1410:Jalhay
1233:205-6.
1033:route.
1007:online
759:tonnes
632:. The
610:masons
590:Furens
513:Vesdre
497:washed
401:Bridge
343:Jalhay
231:Length
215:Height
85:Jalhay
1076:) in
665:weirs
648:from
638:trass
566:Eupen
470:1878:
466:Width
219:1878:
210:river
751:Sûre
745:and
560:The
495:and
379:dams
359:wool
325:The
143:1868
1386::
1336:^
1307:^
1293:^
1194:^
1131:^
954:^
882:^
836:^
818:"
702:.
674:.
656:.
540:.
393:.
353:,
349:,
345:,
95:,
91:,
87:,
1084:.
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