Vajont Dam
The Vajont Dam or Vaiont Dam is a disused dam in northern Italy. It is one of the tallest dams in the world, with a height of 262 m (860 ft). It is in the valley of the Vajont (river) under Monte Toc, in the municipality of Erto e Casso, 100 km (62 mi) north of Venice.
| Vajont Dam | |
|---|---|
Vajont Dam in 2002 | |
Location of Vajont Dam in Italy | |
| Official name | Italian: Diga del Vajont |
| Location | Italy |
| Coordinates | 46°16′02″N 12°19′44″E |
| Construction began | 1956 |
| Designed by | Carlo Semenza |
| Owner(s) | ENEL |
| Operator(s) | SADE – Società Adriatica di Elettricità (today part of Edison) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete double curvature arch dam |
| Impounds | Vajont River |
| Height | 262 metres (860 ft) |
| Length | 160 metres (520 ft) (chord) |
| Width (crest) | 3.40 metres (11.2 ft). |
| Width (base) | 27 metres (89 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lago del Vajont |
| Total capacity | 168,715 thousand cubic metres (5,958,100×103 cu ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Turbines | 4 |
The dam was conceived in the 1920s and eventually built between 1957 and 1960 by Società Adriatica di Elettricità, at the time the electricity supply and distribution monopoly in northeastern Italy. The engineer was Carlo Semenza (1893–1961). In 1962, the dam was nationalized and came under the control of ENEL as part of the Italian Ministry for Public Works.
On 9 October 1963, during initial filling, a landslide caused a megatsunami in the lake in which 50,000,000 m3 (1.8×109 cu ft) of water overtopped the dam in a wave of 250 m (820 ft), which brought massive flooding and destruction to the Piave Valley below, leading to the destruction of several villages and towns, causing an estimated 1,900 to 2,500 deaths. The dam remained almost intact and two-thirds of the water was retained behind it.
This event occurred after ENEL and the Italian government concealed reports and dismissed evidence that Monte Toc, on the southern side of the basin, was geologically unstable. They had disregarded numerous warnings, signs of danger, and negative appraisals. Underestimating the size of the landslide, ENEL's attempt to safely control the landslide by lowering the lake's level came when disaster was almost imminent.