Tibi Dam, Gravity dam near Tibi, Spain
Tibi Dam is a gravity dam made of stone blocks on the Monnegre River, extending roughly 65 meters in length. The structure reaches its maximum thickness of about 34 meters at the base and tapers to about 20 meters at the top, standing around 46 meters high.
The dam was built between 1579 and 1594, representing one of Europe's earliest water control structures created after Roman times. Its construction during the Renaissance shows how engineers of that period developed new solutions for water supply and irrigation.
The structure carries the name Tibi Dam, recognized by Spain as an Asset of Cultural Interest. It represents early water management techniques that local people developed to irrigate fields and control water flow for their needs.
The dam sits about 3 kilometers south of Tibi and stores water for irrigation of fields across the Valencia region. The reservoir holds roughly 3.7 million cubic meters of water channeled for agricultural use.
In 1697, engineers added a spillway after water overflow damaged part of the original structure. The dam proved its durability over centuries despite being built without modern stress analysis techniques.
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