engineering

Intze principle

Intze principle is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Intze principle rather than just read about it. In short: The Intze Principle (German: Intze-Prinzip) is a name given to two engineering principles, both named after the hydraulic engineer, Otto Intze, (1843–1904). In one case, the Intze Principle relates to a type of water tower; in the other, a type of dam.

Key takeaways

Intze principle belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Intze principle to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Intze principle from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Intze Principle (German: Intze-Prinzip) is a name given to two engineering principles, both named after the hydraulic engineer, Otto Intze, (1843–1904). In one case, the Intze Principle relates to a type of water tower; in the other, a type of dam.

Intze Principle for water towers

A water tower built in accordance with the Intze Principle has a brick shaft on which the water tank sits. The base of the tank is fixed with a ring anchor (Ringanker) made of iron or steel, so that only vertical, not horizontal, forces are transmitted to the tower. Due to the lack of horizontal forces the tower shaft does not need to be quite as solidly built. This type of design was used in Germany between 1885 and 1905.

Intze Principle for dams

The method of dam construction invented by Otto Intze was used in Germany at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. A dam built on the Intze Principle has the following features:

it is a gravity dam with an almost triangular cross-section the wall is made of rubble stone with a high proportion of mortar it has a curved ground plan it has facing brickwork (Vorsatzmauerwerk or Verblendung) on the upper part of the upstream side it has an earth embankment against the lower part of the upstream side, the so-called Intze Wedge (Intze-Keil) it has a cement-sealed upstream face, coated with a layer of bitumen or tar it has internal vertical drainage using clay pipes behind the upstream face The purpose of the Intze Wedge is to provide an additional seal in the area of the highest water pressure. During the 1920s, this type of construction was gradually superseded by concrete dams or arched dams which were cheaper to build.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Intze principle

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Intze principle claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Intze principle before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Intze principle ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Intze principle

In research: Intze principle appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Intze principle in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Intze principle is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Dams, Hydraulic engineering, Water towers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Intze principle outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Intze principle in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Intze principle means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Intze principle out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Intze principle in simple terms?

Why does Intze principle matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Intze principle?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Intze principle.