If we rely on the definition given in various dictionaries and encyclopedias, the hydraulic engineering structure is built in order to rationally manage and manage water resources. At first glance it may seem that there are a lot of these resources on the planet, and there is no special need to deal with their distribution between consumers. However, this is a superficial judgment. First, water has a different quality. Secondly, where people live, it is very unevenly distributed. And thirdly, its reserves are used for different purposes. To what has been said, we must add that large volumes of water very often pose a danger to human life.
According to British scientists, the construction of hydraulic structures began in ancient times. This can be judged from the excavations and studies of settlements in which the ancestors of modern man lived. Until now, the remains of the dam, which was built in ancient Egypt more than five thousand years ago, have been preserved. This large-scale hydraulic engineering structure was erected with a specific purpose - to provide water to the fields on which various agricultural crops were cultivated. Nowadays, agriculture on irrigated lands occupies a significant share in the total volume of agricultural production.
In this context, it should be noted that the hydraulic engineering structure is built not only for the needs of agriculture. Even on an approximate estimation their share makes less than ten percent from total amount of civil work. In terms of their function, they are divided into general and special. General include water-resistant, water-supplying, regulating, water intake. A typical example of a water-retaining structure is a dam. With their help, a level difference is created in front of a concrete structure or a settlement. The dam is an obligatory element of the hydroelectric power station.
A water-supplying hydraulic engineering structure is a channel, a tunnel, a tray and a pipeline. On these communications, large volumes of moisture move to the place of use. Regulatory structures are designed to change the natural watercourse. Among them are protective dams, semi-dams and structures that serve to strengthen the coastal strip.
Water intake devices serve for supplying settlements with drinking and technical moisture. This is a complex engineering structure, to which the strictest sanitary standards and the schedule of supply of the main resource, in this case water, are made.
The construction of any object begins with the development of a technical assignment. It is very important to clearly articulate the purpose for which this structure will be erected. Of course, the preparation for the construction of the hydropower plant will take more time than the development of the project of a reservoir for fish farming. But the scale of the forthcoming construction does not at all affect the quality of survey and design works. In any case, the necessary set of measures is carried out. It is very important to conduct a timely survey of hydraulic structures that have already been built. For these purposes, special technologies and equipment are being developed, special firms and organizations are working.