Andre Coyne
Encyclopedia
André Coyne was a French
dam engineer who designed 70 dams in 14 countries. Coyne's creations include the Daniel-Johnson Dam
, on the Manicouagan River
in Quebec
, which is the world's largest multiple-arch dam at 214 meters height and a span of 162 meters.
Coyne's first major achievement, which brought him considerable fame, was the Malpasset Dam in Southern France. Nearly immediately after construction was completed on the dam, cracks were noticed at the base. A few years later, on December 2, 1959, the dam abruptly swung open and released a 50 meter high wall of water that reached the nearby town of Fréjus
, killing an estimated 421 people. It was said that Coyne was deeply affected by the dam's failure. He died half a year later.
A study later found that the design of the dam was probably not the reason for its failure. Other factors were blamed instead, including the location of the dam, the stability of the rock material, the fact that a geological fault was found on the site, and heavy rain that had raised the water level by 15 feet that year. http://simscience.org/cracks/advanced/malpasset_backg.html
The company that André Coyne started is still operating under the name Coyne et Bellier.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
dam engineer who designed 70 dams in 14 countries. Coyne's creations include the Daniel-Johnson Dam
Daniel-Johnson Dam
The Daniel-Johnson Dam , formerly known as Manic-5, is a multiple arch buttress dam on the Manicouagan River which creates Manicouagan Reservoir. The dam is composed of 14 buttresses and 13 arches and is north of Baie-Comeau in Quebec, Canada...
, on the Manicouagan River
Manicouagan River
The Manicouagan River is a river in Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. The river originates at the Daniel-Johnson Dam of the Manicouagan Reservoir and flows approximately south, emptying into the Saint Lawrence River near Baie-Comeau...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, which is the world's largest multiple-arch dam at 214 meters height and a span of 162 meters.
Coyne's first major achievement, which brought him considerable fame, was the Malpasset Dam in Southern France. Nearly immediately after construction was completed on the dam, cracks were noticed at the base. A few years later, on December 2, 1959, the dam abruptly swung open and released a 50 meter high wall of water that reached the nearby town of Fréjus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
, killing an estimated 421 people. It was said that Coyne was deeply affected by the dam's failure. He died half a year later.
A study later found that the design of the dam was probably not the reason for its failure. Other factors were blamed instead, including the location of the dam, the stability of the rock material, the fact that a geological fault was found on the site, and heavy rain that had raised the water level by 15 feet that year. http://simscience.org/cracks/advanced/malpasset_backg.html
The company that André Coyne started is still operating under the name Coyne et Bellier.
External links
- Cracking Dams report on Malpasset Dam break
- Coyne et Bellier Official website