Jiangya Dam
Encyclopedia
The Jiangya Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Loushui River
, located 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Zhangjiajie
in Hunan Province, China. The primary purpose of the multi-purpose dam is flood control but it also generates hydroelectricty, supplies water for irrigation and municipal use and improves navigation
.
(RCC) and is noteworthy because it was the first dam to use the slope/inclined laying process as opposed to horizontal. This technique was used from the dam's mid-section upward and reduced both the cost and time of construction. The dam was constructed at a cost of about US$400 million, of which $97 million was provided by the World Bank
.
has a normal elevation of 236 m (774 ft). The dam sits at the head of a 3711 km² (1,433 sq mi) catchment area
and creates a reservoir with a capacity of 1740000000 cubic metre. The dam's spillway
is controlled by four gates and at the base of the chutes, flip buckets dissipate the water's energy. Within the three center spillway piers are three intermediate outlets. These outlets and the spillway can discharge up to 11700 m3/s. The dam's power house is located underground on the dam's right bank and contains three 100 MW Francis turbine
-generators. The dam's 20 ton ship lift is located on the left bank and is 935 m (3,068 ft) long. The irrigation intake is located on the left bank of the reservoir.
Loushui River
The Loushui River is the main tributary of the Lishui River in China with much of its basin situated in Hubei Province. It is interrupted by the Jiangpinghe Dam....
, located 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan province in China. It comprises the district of Yongding and counties of Cili and Sangzhi...
in Hunan Province, China. The primary purpose of the multi-purpose dam is flood control but it also generates hydroelectricty, supplies water for irrigation and municipal use and improves navigation
Navigability
A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and slow enough for a vessel to pass. Preferably there are few obstructions such as rocks or trees to avoid. Bridges must have sufficient clearance. High water speed may make a channel unnavigable. Waters may be...
.
Background
The dam's power plant has a 300 MW capacity and generates on average 756 GWh annually. It provides for the irrigation of 5570 ha (13,764 acre) and water storage for about 50,000 people. The dam also reserves 740000000 cubic metre for flood storage and supports a 20 ton ship lift. Construction on the dam began in 1995, the first generator was operational in 1998 and the project complete in 1999. The dam was constructed with roller-compacted concreteRoller-compacted concrete
Roller-compacted concrete or rolled concrete is a special blend of concrete that has essentially the same ingredients as conventional concrete but in different ratios, and increasingly with partial substitution of fly ash for Portland cement. RCC is a mix of cement/fly ash, water, sand, aggregate...
(RCC) and is noteworthy because it was the first dam to use the slope/inclined laying process as opposed to horizontal. This technique was used from the dam's mid-section upward and reduced both the cost and time of construction. The dam was constructed at a cost of about US$400 million, of which $97 million was provided by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
.
Design
The dam is a 131 m (430 ft) tall and 368 m (1,207 ft) long concrete gravity dam with a structural volume of 1370000 m³ (1,791,892 cu yd). The base of the dam is 107 m (351 ft) wide and the crest is at an elevation of 245 m (804 ft) while the reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
has a normal elevation of 236 m (774 ft). The dam sits at the head of a 3711 km² (1,433 sq mi) catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and creates a reservoir with a capacity of 1740000000 cubic metre. The dam's spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
is controlled by four gates and at the base of the chutes, flip buckets dissipate the water's energy. Within the three center spillway piers are three intermediate outlets. These outlets and the spillway can discharge up to 11700 m3/s. The dam's power house is located underground on the dam's right bank and contains three 100 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators. The dam's 20 ton ship lift is located on the left bank and is 935 m (3,068 ft) long. The irrigation intake is located on the left bank of the reservoir.