[Video]: Watch a civil engineer's display on dams for elementary school Career Day!

Grady Hillhouse, a civil engineer specialized in dams and large hydraulic structures, prepared a display for an elementary school Career Day to explain the basic principles of dam function! Watch the video below demonstrating the different construction stages!

Goal of this project was to explain in a simple and fun way the rather complex topic of dams and reservoir function and their importance in everyday life. Grady Hillhouse, civil engineer, constructed with simple materials a display, which he presented at his wife's elementary school Career Day. That way, he managed to engage childrens' interest in the topic, as well as engineering in general!

Have a look at Mr. Hillhouse's description on the way this display works:

Water is pumped from a tray behind the display to above the lake to simulate rain filling the reservoir. A flood can be simulated just by pouring in a pitcher of water. A small crest gate acts as a flood control structure. There are houses along the bank of the river downstream to show how flooding can affect structures near rivers, and it's easy to see that a house built at a higher elevation has a lower chance of flooding. Hydro-power is simulated with the computer fan, and water supply is represented by a garden hose and bathroom sink. Low-flow releases can be made from the dam to keep water in the river downstream. There are some fish to show why environmental flows are important.

 Source: imgur.com, Youtube.com