Iran's dam making industry: a national symbol of self-confidence after Iran's Islamic revolution

The dam industry in Iran at the moment has stood on the climax of self- sufficient and has capacity to curb the all flowing waters in the country. This industry with the conquest of Islamic revolution of Iran went through a new era and according to the importance of water and limitation in water resources, has been observed as one of the objections of the ministry of energy.
Before the victory of the Islamic revolution of Iran the Iranian advisors did not consider the field of designing and skillfulness of this industry but after the Islamic revolution it divided into three phases forming, progress and flourish. From 1979 till 1983 there was still the presence of foreign consultants, but after 1983 to 1988 Iran could penetrate into the specialist and engineering efforts and the condition for self - reliant was formed but the researching works and definition of dam were handed over to foreign experts. It should be underlined that the period of progress and flourish in dam industry was between years of 1986 till 1996 when the Iranian consultants companies and exports were went through the dam studies and conducted the final assistant and accomplishment of the works.
At the moment the dam making science has been reached to a self-contained stage and the all dam construction phases such as study, design, supervision, construction and function of stored dam are accomplished by Iranian engineers.
Iran has the third position in dam making industry after china and turkey. At the present there are 535 dams in the process and 769 under the construction works. It is also expected that 14 stored large dames with the capacity of 1b and 232 million meters square and the 14 other dams with capacity of 2 b and 466 million meters square are some of the new steps which have been taken towards the uplift of dam making industry.
In the formwork of this movement it is said that within next 10 years the chapter of making dam will be closed in Iran and is in the condition when the industry is at an entrance point towards the international platform. Therefore it is able to achieve a deserving and suitable stance in the Middle East, Africa and other regions of the world.
Let it not remain unsaid the 85 % of the Iran's region are dry and semi dry , so water is the essential issue and in fact is counted as an important factor for the limitation of development meanwhile Khuzestan province with having 1/3rd of water level in the country has a significant role in the dam making industry.
The large Karoon River is the largest and biggest river of the Iran which flows in Khuzestan province about 950 km length and with wide water- shed extent of 60 thousand meters square. Beside this river Karkheh, Daz , Marun, Zohreh, Arvan and Shavar also flow in this province.
The operation studies for Karoon water power potential was commenced in the two phases: in 1960 and 1979 and continued till 1989 after those studies the construction works of Shaheed Abbasi dam was begun. Among the constructed dams in Khuzistan province , Karoon 3 dam has a very great role and importance because is 28 km off of the Ezeh city in the north east of province with the height of 205 meters counts as the biggest two curved dam in the country and national making dam industry scheme.
The volume store of this dam is about 1b and 250 million meters square when its useful volume of the store is 1 b and 750 million meters square. Experts utter this dam and its power plant have been made a sum about 5/1 b dollars saving foreign exchange for the country.
The eight units power plant of this dam will be provided the required energy in the highest consumes time and have the capacity of2000 megawatt and an average of 4b and 172 million kw/h can transform from its power plant to the countrywide networks.
Beside the Karoon 3 dam the biggest curved bridge with the weight of 2000 and 450 tones, length of 336 meters and 11/8 meters width has been constructed. The expenses of this project beside the construction of housing colonies, accessible roads ant the other constructed curved bridges is equivalent to 7 thousand and 650 b Riyal.
The construction of Karoon 3 dam and power plants based on its stores volume which would be supportive for the water saving in different uses especially agriculture sector that facilitate not only the Khuzestan but the all regions in Iran. The Karoon 3, Maroon, Suleiman mosque and Karkheh dams under the operation in Khuzestan province.