Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

402 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. Fig. 23.—EXCAVATING THE NAVIGATION CANAL AT WEST END OF ASSOUAN DAM. making, foundation-laying, and in connection with the quarries. An important part of the preliminary work of the first season was to open up the Lsawiya quarries near Sohag, 63 miles to the south of the dam site and 3 miles distant from the river, and to arrange for the transportation of the stone over a short railway line from the quarry to the river’s edge, and thence by boats to Assiout. The progress of work upon the dam may be summarized as follows. During the first sea- son, 26 per cent, of the total permanent work was completed. Sudds to enclose the lock and thirty western piers were formed, and along this length the floor was laid, and twenty-four of the piers and the lock walls built up to a height above summer water level. By the end of the second season an addi- tional 49 per cent, of the total permanent work was finished. Every part of the foundation area had been enclosed in its turn by sudds. First, sudds Difficulties Overcome were thrown out from the west bank so as to enclose a space long enough for thirty more piers, and two sudds were built out from the east bank to shut in an area on that side for sixteen piers. Within these en- closures the sheet piling, masonry floor, and pitching, etc., were completed, and the piers built up to above the average summer level of the river. An attempt was then made to com- plete the floor between these two side portions