Summary of the Ertan Hydropower Station Project (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Editorial Committee of "Summary of the Ertan Hydropower Station Project"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The Ertan Hydropower Station is the largest hydropower station completed and put into operation in China at the end of the 20th century. The 240-meter-high concrete double-curvature arch dam is the tallest arch dam built in China and the third tallest of its kind in the world. The underground power house is equipped with six 550 MW turbine-generators, with an annual power generation capacity of 17 billion kW·h. The station is on a grand scale and technologically complex, with many technical indicators ranking among the world's top. It has attracted worldwide attention. The survey and design of the station are based on extensive scientific research and experimental results, with bold innovation and the incorporation of opinions from domestic and international experts. The design is meticulous and has won the National Gold Award for Excellent Engineering Survey and the National Gold Award for Excellent Engineering Design. Part of the station's construction was financed by a World Bank loan, adopting an international competitive bidding mechanism to introduce advanced management concepts and models. Construction management was conducted under internationally recognized FIDIC contract conditions. Advanced construction techniques, equipment, and methods from both domestic and international sources were actively introduced and adopted, promoting technological progress and achieving effective control over construction schedules, quality, and investment. Since the first unit went into operation in August 1998, the station has operated safely for six years, laying a solid foundation for the rolling development of the Yalong River Basin's hydropower stations. The successful construction of the Ertan Hydropower Station marks the entry of China's hydropower construction into the world's forefront, from survey and design to research, construction, and operation. This book comprehensively summarizes the basic experience of the Ertan Hydropower Station in survey and design, construction management, construction technology, and initial operation management. Its content includes not only the design and construction technology of the 240-meter-high arch dam but also the large-scale diversion project, high-head, high-flow flood discharge and energy dissipation methods, layout, and construction of structures in high mountain gorges; research on the stability of surrounding rock in high-stress large-scale underground cavern groups and excavation and support; high-slope treatment; high-head, high-capacity turbine-generators and ultra-high-voltage electrical equipment mechanical and electrical design and installation technology; and management experience in the procurement of international and domestic equipment. Additionally, the book covers engineering practices in safety monitoring and environmental protection. The construction management mechanism of the station, as well as the experience and insights in project scheduling, quality, and investment control, and the use of foreign capital and the introduction and utilization of various intellectual resources to serve the construction, are also important components of this book. The content is rich and detailed, combining theory with practice, and is illustrated with numerous visuals, compiling the wisdom and valuable experience of numerous domestic and international hydropower experts and station construction professionals. The 200+ authors and editors of this book are all key leaders and direct participants in the survey and design, experimental research, construction management, and engineering supervision, as well as the initial operation of the Ertan Hydropower Station. Many of them are hydropower experts with extensive practical experience and "veteran hydropower professionals" who have worked across the country. The majority are young, dynamic, and ambitious engineering technicians. They not only, along with other builders, completed this landmark mega-hydropower project but also meticulously wrote this book, expressing their deep affection for the nation's hydropower construction. The book is divided into five parts, totaling 2.2 million words, and published in two volumes. Part 1: Survey and Design; Part 2: Construction Management; Part 3: Construction Technology; Part 4: Production Management; Part 5: Special Completion Acceptance. Given the limitations of the authors' perspectives and the data they have access to, as well as the constraints of the editors' capabilities, this book may inevitably contain omissions and inaccuracies. It is hoped that this book can serve as a valuable reference for hydropower construction professionals and others in related basic construction industries.