CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS:Three Gorges Dam, China By Amir Fikri Abdull Khalil

CVEN 1317/AREN 1316 Homework 5: Architectural & Civil Engineering Term Project

December 3, 2015

Introduction• Biggest hydropower project in the world • Installed capacity of 18,200 MW • Location: Yangtze River, China • Dam height: 199m (652ft)• Dam: length: 2.24km (1.4 miles)• Construction period: 1994- 2009• Cost: USD 24.6 billion• People Displaced: 1.3 to 1.9 million• Reservoir size : 632 square kilometers in area, length

of 662 kilometers and water level of 175 meters

Source: http://im.ftstatic.com/content/images/ 7e33e7e6-87e7-11dc-9464-0000779fd2ac.gif

Source: http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4f95c174eab8ea9216000003-480/china three -gorges.jpg

Source: http://www1.american.edu/ted/ICE/images5/bch_TGDat87and06.jpg

GOALS- To improve the flood control system in Yangtze River

> Upgrade the flood control standard from the level of preventing under-10-year floods to that of preventing 100-year floods

> Protect 1.5 million hectare of farmland and 15 million of people from flood damage

- To improve ship navigation and water transportation system across the river> Treacherous twists and turns of navigating the

river will be moderated> Increase the cargo capacity of the river

- To provide clean hydroelectricity> China currently produces 75 – 80 % of its

electricity using coal burning> Project is estimated to save 50 million tons of coal

yearly> Decreasing the emission of 100 million tons of

CO2 and 2 million tons of SO2

CONTORVERSIES- Increase in landslide occurrence> Raising and lowering the water level in the

reservoir for flood control caused the soil to become unstable

- Massive relocation of people> Many social rights were violated in the process

- Destruction of surrounding flora and fauna> Caused huge change in the ecological system

which affected a lot of animals. > A huge area of forest was lost due to filling of

the reservoir - Lost of archeological site> 1,300 excavated sites and 8,000 unexcavated

archeological sites were lost lost- Increase in seismic activity and earthquake > Massive size and weight of the reservoir

affected the underlying geological plates

TECHINCAL PROBLEMS1) Where and how to build the dam

- Location needs to be geographically strategic- Construction cannot block the flow of the river

2) Structural design of the dam- Needs to be really strong due to the size- Needs to withstand natural disasters

3) Water level conflictions- Flood control requires low water level- Electricity production requires high water level

4) Ships need to pass through the dam- River is used for transportation

5) Slopes and riverbank stabilization- Ground becomes unstable due to drastic change of water level

ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS- Lower reaches of the Yangtze River was chosen as the river here is much wider. (Geotechnical Engineering)

- The project was also built in phases and diversion channels were built. (Construction Engineering)

- Concrete gravity dam design was selected in which the force that supports the dam is the Earth's gravity pulling down on the mass of the dam. (Structural Engineering)

- The reservoir’s water level is specified differently at different times of the year. (Water Resources Engineering)

- Ship lock and ship lift were installed to allow ship to pass through the dam. (Structural & Mechanical Engineering)

- Steep slopes and riverbanks were strengthen and reinforced with concrete. (Structural & Geotechnical Engineering)Source: http://probeinternational.org/library/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Ship-lift-at-Three-

Gorges-Dam-China-design-of-steel-structures.pdf