Dam pit
The working pit in the floor of a foundry for the production of large castings ( bells etc.) is called a dam pit .
Since there is a risk of the mold shattering when the metal is poured into larger casting molds, it is placed in a dam pit and dammed with earth or sand. This coating with earth or sand also cools the cast metal more slowly and more evenly, which prevents the formation of cracks.
The walls of dam pits in foundries are usually fixed by masonry or concrete , and appropriate crane systems are usually available for lifting out the castings .
Literary
Friedrich Schiller's poem Das Lied von der Glocke begins with the words “ Solidly built in the earth ” and refers to the dam pit.