Journal articles:
China's great leap backward - Uneconomic and outdated, the Three Gorges
dam will stunt China's economic growth. Adams, Ryder. International
Journal. 53(4):687-704 FAL 1998. 327.05 In86 PER ROOM in Norlin
China's Three Gorges Dam will soon transform the yangtze. Hoh E. Natural
History.105 (7): 29-& JUL 1996. QH1 .N13 SCIENCE in Norlin.
The Sanxia (3 Gorges) Project - The Environmental Argument Surrounding
China Super Dam. Edmonds Rl. Global Ecology And Biogeography Letters. 2
(4): 105-125 JUL 1992QH84 .G56 SCIENCE in Norlin.
Freshwater fish biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin of China: patterns,
threats, conservation. Fu, Wu, Chen, Qu, Lei. Biodiversity and Conservation.
12 (8): 1649-1685 AUG 2003. Online: libraries.colorado.edu, periodical title
Snail-Schistosoma, Paragonimus interactions in China: Population
ecology... and emerging diseases. Davis, Wilke, Zhang, Xu, Qiu, Spolsky,
Qiu, Li, Xia, Feng. Malacologia 41 (2): 355-377 1999 QL401 .M3 SCIENCE in
Norlin.
Reservoir resettlement in China: past experience and the Three Gorges
Dam. Li HM, Waley P, Rees P. Geographical Journal. 167: 195-212 Part 3
SEP 2001. Online: libraries.colorado.edu, periodical title
Changjiang (Yangtze) River delta, China. Chen XQ. Journal Of Coastal
Research. 14 (3): 838-858 SUM 1998 GB450 .J68 EARTHSCI library.
Technical Journal References:
(Information below summarized from the ISI Web of Knowledge search)
The river dragon has come! The Three Gorges Dam and the fate of China's
Yangtze river and its people by Qing D, Sharpe ME. McCormack G, CHINA
JOURNAL. 41: 174-177 JAN 1999. [Book Review] Edmonds RL CHINA
QUARTERLY. (155): 673-674 SEP 1998 [Book Review] Christoff PS. LIBRARY
JOURNAL. 122 (20): 125-125 DEC 1997 [Book Review]
(The CU library has this as an electronic book; largely focuses on risks and
negatives of the project, but also focuses on resettlement, water pollution, and
historical relics)
To whom does the Yangtze River belong: Can China in its development
undertake the Three Gorges dam project? - Dai,Q, Xue,WJ.
Lee YCB. CHINA JOURNAL. 37: 168-170 JAN 1997 [Book Review]
China's great leap backward - Uneconomic and outdated, the Three Gorges
dam will stunt China's economic growth. Adams P, Ryder G.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL. 53(4):687-704 FAL 1998
China's Three Gorges Dam will soon transform the yangtze.
Hoh E. NATURAL HISTORY. 105 (7): 29-& JUL 1996
THE SANXIA (3 GORGES) PROJECT - THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARGUMENT
SURROUNDING CHINA SUPER DAM. EDMONDS RL
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY LETTERS. 2 (4): 105-125 JUL
1992
The Three Gorges Dam was formally approved by the National People's
Congress in April 1992. As the world's largest dam, the project has attracted a
considerable amount of attention. This article looks at the background to the
project and the arguments surrounding construction and financing. Approval of
the Sanxia project was expedited by the Tiananmen Incident of 1989 and the
massive flooding on the Yangtze River during summer 1991. Advocates of the
dam admit that there are still some technical uncertainties. Given the fact it is
highly unlikely that the dam will serve its purported functions of flood control,
energy generation, navigation improvement, and increased water supply, the
Chinese would be wise to avoid the irreparable ecological damage and the
economic risk from such another grandiose project. Instead of a large dam,
smaller scale projects and basic conservation measures are likely to have more
positive environmental, economic, and political consequences.
Physical-biological sources for dense algal blooms near the Changjiang
River.
Chen CS, Zhu JR, Beardsley RC, Franks PJS. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH
LETTERS. 30 (10): art. no. 1515 MAY 22 2003
Harmful algal blooms ("red tides'') occur primarily in a confined region on
the inner shelf off the Changjiang River in the East China Sea during MayAugust. The areal extent of these blooms has increased dramatically in the last
decade, and is thought to be associated with the rapid increase in nutrient supply
via the Changjiang River. These results imply that the formation of phytoplankton
blooms is controlled by a complex interplay of physical, geological, biological,
and chemical processes associated with the Changjiang River discharge,
sediment deposition, and Taiwan Warm Current (TWC) water intrusions. The
predicted increase in nutrient loading in the Changjiang River due to further
economic development of Shanghai and reduction in sediment discharge due to
the Three Gorges dam suggest that this part of the East China Sea could
become an ecosystem disaster, with possible downstream contamination of
2
Korea and Japan, unless the nutrient loading from Shanghai and surrounding
cities and aquaculture activities along the coast are reduced.
Freshwater fish biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin of China: patterns,
threats and conservation. Fu CZ, Wu JH, Chen JK, Qu QH, Lei GC.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION. 12 (8): 1649-1685 AUG 2003
The article evaluates information on freshwater fish biodiversity in the
Yangtze River basin, including 361 species and subspecies of which, 177
species are endemic. Hydrological alterations are perhaps the largest threat to
fish biodiversity in the basin. Fishes in the upper reaches will be seriously
affected by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and other dams, and
action should be taken for priority conservation. The most immediate restoration
need is reconnection of the Yangtze River with its lakes. The cluster of lakes in
the Central Yangtze should be protected to maintain habitats for spawning,
feeding and migration of migratory fishes.
Biology, fisheries, and conservation of sturgeons and paddlefish in China
Wei QW, Ke FE, Zhang JM, Zhuang P, Luo JD, Zhou RQ, Yang WH
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY OF FISHES. 48 (1-4): 241-256 MAR 1997
This paper reviews five of the eight species of acipenseriforms that occur
in China, chiefly those of the Amur and Yangtze rivers. Kaluga Huso dauricus
and Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii are endemic to the Amur River. Both
species still support fisheries, but stocks are declining due to overfishing.
Acipenseriformes of the Yangtze River are primarily threatened by hydroelectric
dams that block free passage to spawning and feeding areas. The Chinese
paddlefish Psephurus gladius now is rare in the Yangtze River system. Limited
spawning still exists above the dam, but when the new Three Gorges Dam is
complete, it will further threaten the paddlefish.
Mitochondrial DNA diversity, population structure, and conservation
genetics of four native carps within the Yangtze River, China. Lu GQ, Li SF,
Bernatchez L
Canadian Journal Of Fisheries And Aquatic Sciences. 54 (1): 47-58 JAN
1997
Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon
piceus), bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon
piceus) rank first, second, fourth, and seventh in world fish production. In China,
the Yangtze River harbours the most important natural populations of these
species. We performed a polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length
poymorphism analysis to test the hypothesis that they are composed of more
than one genetic stock. The results suggest that the population structure may be
determined by the number of environmental settings that permit closure of their
life cycle. They also imply that carp from the Yangtze River cannot be managed
as a single unit and that human disturbance through exploitation and habitat
modifications, in particular the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, will have
differential impacts on fish abundance for different parts of the river.
3
Nutrients in the Changjiang and its tributaries. Liu SM, Zhang J, Chen HT,
Wu Y, Xiong H, Zhang ZF. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY. 62 (1): 1-18 JAN 2003
Dissolved and particulate, organic and inorganic N, P and Si were measured in
the main stream and 15 major tributaries of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) in
April-May 1997. The nutrient levels were quite low in the upper reaches, and
significantly increased in the main stream in a region of 2000-3000 km inland
from the river mouth. The nutrient yields in the Changjiang and its major
tributaries indicated high rates of transport of nutrients within the watersheds.
Concentrations of nitrate in the Changjiang have increased, but there have been
no systematic trends for phosphate and silicic acid since 1980. The DIN/P ratios
and DIN/Si ratios increased. The DIN/P and DIN/Si ratios may be expected to
continue to increase after construction of the "Three Gorges Dam", which will
exercise a great deal of influence on the ecological environment of the
Changjiang estuary and its adjacent sea.
Evaluation of artificial neural network techniques for flow forecasting in the
River Yangtze, China. Dawson CW, Harpham C, Wilby RL, Chen Y.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES. 6 (4): 619-626 AUG 2002
Using six-hourly rainfall-runoff data for the River Yangtze at Yichang
(upstream of the Three Gorges Dam) for the period 1991 to 1993, it is shown that
two neural network types can simulate river flows beyond the range of the
training set.
Impact of soil chemistry on the distribution of Oncomelania hupensis
(Gastropoda : Pomatiopsidae) in China. Seto EYW, Wu WP, Qiu DC, Liu HY,
Gu XG, Chen HG, Spear RC, Davis GM. MALACOLOGIA. 44 (2): 259-272 2002
Oncomelania hupensis subspecies serve as intermediate hosts for the
human Schistosoma parasite in China. In this study we present a multivariate
analysis and comparison soil chemistry data associated with the presence or
absence of two subspecies, O. hupensis robertsoni and O. hupensis hupensis,
that are associated with schistosomiasis disease transmission upstream and
downstream, respectively, of the soon to be completed Three Gorges Dam on
the Yangtze River. A multivariate classification of soil data was able to
discriminate between snail habitat and non-habitat in the Anning River Valley
with 85.5% accuracy, and revealed that the lack of critical soil conditions
potentially excluded O. hupensis robertsoni from some sites. The soil
classification was also able to correctly identify 72.4% of marginal habitat sites
that were misclassified by field ecologists. We found that O. hupensis hupensis
was less dependent upon soil conditions for sites on the Poyang Lake floodplain,
and hypothesize that changes in water level associated with seasonal flooding
may play a larger role than soil in discriminating between snail habitat and nonhabitat in this environment.
The use of remote sensing for predictive modeling of schistosomiasis in
China
4
Seto E, Xu B, Liang S, Gong P, Wu WP, Davis G, Qiu DC, Gu XG, Spear R
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING AND REMOTE SENSING
68 (2): 167-174 FEB 2002
The development of predictive models of the spatial distribution of
schistosomiasis are hampered by the existence of different regional subspecies
of the Oncomelania hupensis snail that serve as intermediate hosts for the
disease in China. The habitats associated with these different subspecies vary
considerably. Despite these challenges, continuing environmental change
resulting from the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and global warming that
threaten to increase snail habitat, as well as limited public health resources,
require the ability to accurately map and prioritize areas at risk for
schistosomiasis. This paper describes a series of ongoing studies that rely on
remotely sensed data to predict schistosomiasis risk in two regions of China.
Application of geographic information systems and remote sensing to
schistosomiasis control in China. Zhou XN, Malone JB, Kristensen TK,
Bergquist NR. ACTA TROPICA
79 (1): 97-106 APR 27 2001
Progress in China on developing prediction models using remote sensing,
geographic information systems and climate data with historical infection
prevalence and malacology databases is reviewed. Special reference is made to
the effects of the Yangtze river Three Gorges dam project on environmental
changes that may impact changes in the spatial and temporal distribution and
abundance of Schistosoma japonicum in China, and the future success of
disease control programs.
Possible effects of the Three Gorges dam on the transmission of
Schistosoma japonicum on the Jiang Han plain, China. Xu XJ, Wei FH, Yang
XX, Dai YH, Yu GY, Chen LY, Su ZM
ANNALS OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND PARASITOLOGY. 94 (4): 333-341
JUN 2000
The Three Gorges dam might affect the transmission of Schistosoma
japonicum on the Jiang Han plain, which is downstream of the dam. To study this
possibility, the prevalence of schistosomiasis was investigated in relation to a
range of malacological, hydrological and meteorological factors. The general
water level in the Yangzte over a year had a marked effect on the distribution of
the intermediate host (Oncomelania hupensis) and the prevalence of human
schistosomiasis in that year. Disease prevalence showed significant correlations
with the density of the snail hosts, the level of the water table, annual rainfall,
yearly evaporation, and altitude. Once the dam is complete, the flow of water
downstream will probably be maintained at a level between those currently
occurring in flood and dry weather, and this may have implications for
schistosome transmission. Systematic monitoring is necessary to investigate the
impact of the environmental changes brought about by the dam on transmission.
5
Epidemiology of Schistosoma japonicum in China: morbidity and
strategies for control in the Dongting Lake region. Li YS, Sleigh AC, Ross
AGP, Williams GM, Tanner M, McManus DP INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR
PARASITOLOGY 30 (3): 273-281 MAR 2000
Dongting Lake, covering a very large surface water area of 2691 km(2), is
located in Hunan Province in the southern part of the People's Republic of China.
It is the second-largest freshwater lake in China and plays an important role in
regulating the amount of water in the Yangtze River, China's longest river. Asian
schistosomiasis has been endemic in the Dongting Lake region for centuries and
it has had a devastating effect on the public health of the local people. After a
difficult struggle for more than four decades, a concerted programme, supported
by the World Bank Loan and instigated in 1992, has resulted in remarkable
progress in the control of the disease in many endemic areas of the region.
However, the great challenge remains to consolidate and maintain the
achievements made to date. The Schistosoma japonicum intermediate host
(Oncomelania hupensis hupensis) snail habitats are huge, estimated at 1768
km(2) in 1996; these are increasing at a rate of 34.7 km(2) annually due to high
silt deposition from the Yangtze River itself and from the connecting rivers in
Hunan province, and construction of embankments in the Dongting Lake region.
It is anticipated that the construction of the Three Gorges Super Dam, the largest
engineering project ever undertaken, will substantially extend the range of the
snail habitats and increase the number of new schistosomiasis cases. In many
areas, human re-infections remain unacceptably high due to occupational (mainly
fishing) water contact.
Snail-Schistosoma, Paragonimus interactions in China: Population
ecology, genetic diversity, coevolution and emerging diseases
Davis GM, Wilke T, Zhang Y, Xu XJ, Qiu CP, Spolsky C, Qiu DC, Li YS, Xia MY,
Feng Z
MALACOLOGIA 41 (2): 355-377 1999
This paper focuses on two snail-borne helminths in China infecting man,
Schistosoma and Paragonimus, but primarily on Schistosoma (Asian
caenogastropod-transmitted). Of concern are the implications of the Three
Gorges dam across the Yangtze River on emerging diseases. The implications
of the Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River is discussed both in terms of
the potential for snail transport into the vast reservoir but also of the impact on
Poyang Lake, the largest lake in China and a major endemic area for
schistosomiasis.
Human impacts on the Changjiang (Yangtze) River basin, China, with
special reference to the impacts on the dry season water discharges into
the sea.
Chen XQ, Zong YQ, Zhang EF, Xu EG, Li SJ
GEOMORPHOLOGY 41 (2-3): 111-123 NOV 15 2001
The annual mean discharge from the upper Changjiang (Yangtze) basin
has shown a significant decreasing trend since the end of the 19th century. Since
6
the 1970s, the monthly mean discharge to the sea has also shown a dramatic
decrease during dry seasons. This paper examines the human impacts on the
major hydrological processes in the Changjiang River basin, with a special focus
on their influence on the discharge from the drainage basin to the sea during the
dry season. The possible impacts of the Three Gorges Dam on the monthly
variation of water discharge to the sea are discussed with special emphasis.
Reservoir resettlement in China: past experience and the Three Gorges
Dam
Li HM, Waley P, Rees P. GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL. 167: 195-212 Part 3 SEP
2001
This paper reviews involuntary resettlement resulting from dam-building,
which has been ignored relative to the dominant focus of migration research in
China, rural to urban migration. Reservoir resettlement in China has a long
history, often of misery and hardship for those displaced. Relocatees affected by
the Three Gorges Project (1994-2009) on the Yangtze River face a similar
situation. In China priority has been given to building the dam to provide
electricity, flood control and navigation. Less attention has been paid to the
problems of the people affected by the reservoir inundation. The rural population
forced to relocate and rural-urban migrants in general have been discriminated
against by national policies.
Resettlement for China's Three Gorges Dam: socio-economic impact and
institutional tensions. Jackson S, Sleigh A. COMMUNIST AND POSTCOMMUNIST STUDIES 33 (2): 223-241 JUN 2000
Large dams have been an important component of infrastructure
development in capitalist and communist countries alike. In 1998, changing world
attitudes on large darns led to a two-year World Commission on Dams and new
global standards may soon insist that future projects pay fair compensation so
that resettlement becomes voluntary. Now, 10 years after introduction of
economic reforms, China is mobilizing its resources to build the world's largest
dam. This fulfils a longstanding ambition to impound the Yangtze River in Central
China at the Three Gorges and use the hydropower, improved navigation and
flood control to develop the economy. This paper examines the socio-economic
impact of Three Gorges Dam on over 1.3 million people to be displaced while
China is in transition to a market economy. We conclude the project is boosting
economic expectations while adversely affecting large sections of the population,
and this could provoke widespread social unrest and eventual changes in
political institutions.
The living geography of China. Morrish M. GEOGRAPHY. 82 (354): 3-16 Part
1 JAN 1997
This article addresses some issues of current and future concern for the
people of China, for its related territories and for the international community. The
scene is set with a brief summary of the topography, demography and early
history of China. Modernisation and development in China have often happened
7
at the expense of human rights and the physical environment, and the article
looks at some examples before concluding with detailed studies of the Three
Gorges Dam Project.
THE 3 GORGES PROJECT - DAMMED IF THEY DO
SULLIVAN LR. CURRENT HISTORY. 94 (593): 266-269 SEP 1995
The Three Gorges Dam, hailed as the world's largest hydroelectric project,
''is proof of the Chinese government's determination to inspire collective action
for national goals in the face of advancing individual consumerism and
'poisonous bourgeois liberalism.' In China's despotic system, the dam
demonstrates that the center is still in control.''
Human impacts on the large world rivers: Would the Changjiang (Yangtze
River) be an illustration? Zhang J, Zhang ZF, Liu SM, Wu Y, Xiong H, Chen
HT
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES. 13 (4): 1099-1105 DEC 1999
The "Three Gorges Project" (TGP) in the upstream of Changjiang
(Yangtze River) has resulted in great concern of scientific society and public
conversations on the economic, environmental, and human health issues. Data
of nutrients from main stream and 15 large tributaries indicate that Changjiang
receives a large part of its nutrient burden from the drainage area upstream the
'Three Gorges Dam (TGD). A model calculation shows that the construction of
TGD may cause further eutrophication in the upstream region with phosphate as
a limiting factor relative to nitrogen for photosynthesis. The expected N:P ratio of
the river would reach 300-400 after the year 2010. Such a change in nutrient and
organic carbon budgets of the Changjiang will significantly influence the
environment and health of ecosystems of the adjacent shelf region.
Water margins - Competing paradigms in China.
McCormack G. CRITICAL ASIAN STUDIES. 33 (1): 5-30 MAR 2001
A global water crisis is widely predicted to occur in this century. China is
both water-poor - in per capita terms one of the world's twelve most deprived
(and increasingly water-polluted) countries - and, at the same time, also waterrich. This "blue gold" wealth makes China a potential water-power of "SaudiArabia" dimensions. While China's potential remains largely undeveloped, the
country faces growing water pressures: highly uneven distribution between North
and South, urbanization, population increase, degradation of the environment,
and rapidly rising demands for energy, irrigation, and town water. The Three
Gorges Dam project is the largest hydro-development project in the world and
possibly the largest civil engineering project in history. This paper looks at less
well-known development projects for the major rivers of China's South and
Southwest including the Lancang (Mekong) and the Upper Yangzi. It also
discusses the plans for a "Cascade" of darns on the Lancang, which will have a
significant impact on Southeast Mekong riparian countries, plans to "transfer"
water from the Yangzi to the North China plain, and the idea of a global "super
dam" in the Tibetan Himalayas. The paper argues that the Chinese government
8
favors the "modern" paradigm of water engineering at a time when that paradigm
is being abandoned in the developed world in favor of safer, more economical,
and more sustainable options.
In situ rainfall infiltration studies at a hillside in Hubei Province, China
Zhang J, Jiao JJ, Yang J. ENGINEERING GEOLOGY. 57 (1-2): 31-38 JUN 2000
Field infiltration tests were conducted at a hillside near the ship lock of the
Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province, China. The test site consists of residual
soil and decomposed granite. The site was excavated after the test to examine
the abnormal behaviour of the matric suction profiles in the depth. This
experiment indicates that, to describe thoroughly the infiltration process within a
weathered jointed granite profile for slope engineering design purposes, a model
based on the assumption of a uniform porous media is inadequate. The
implications of the experimental results on slope stability are discussed. The in
situ tests provide important information for further studying groundwater seepage
under rainfall conditions and a dewatering system design for the slope above the
ship lock of the Three Gorges Dam in China.
Changjiang (Yangtze) River delta, China.
Chen XQ. JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH. 14 (3): 838-858 SUM 1998
After a brief review of the previous studies and a description of the
geographical setting of the Changjiang River, the Changjiang River delta, and the
Changjiang River estuary, this paper first summarizes the geological framework
in which the recent vertical tectonic movement is emphasized because of its
close connection with relative sea level changes and earthquakes. The historical
delta and coast development is examined, with special reference to the coastal
response to sediment supply. Recent achievements on the physical and
biological processes in estuarine and coastal waters are presented. These
processes are found to greatly influence the temporal and spatial variation of
water salinity, suspended sediment concentration, sedimentation rate, and
primary productivity. The interaction of natural processes with socioeconomic
development is discussed in detail, with an emphasis on the major problems of
estuarine freshwater resources and the impact of water diversion, harbors and
navigation channels, land shortage and the impact of land reclamation, subsiding
ground surface, rising sea level and flood hazards. Finally, the probable delta
development in the coming decades in response to several large scale
engineering works is discussed, such as the Three-Gorges Dam, the planned
water transfer to N China, and the Deep Water Navigation Channel.
The Three Gorges Dam: Reducing the upwelling and thus productivity in
the East China Sea Chen CTA. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS. 27 (3):
381-383 FEB 1 2000
It has been well documented that since 1850 the amount of phosphorus
as well as nitrogen input to coastal seas around the world has increased by a
factor of ten, thus raising concern over eutrophication, Here, evidence is provided
to show that despite a large riverine input of nutrients to the East China Sea
9
(ECS), only a small fraction (7% for P and 33% for N) of the external nutrient
supply supporting ne iv production is provided by the total riverine input. The
major nutrient supply in fact originates from the on-shore advection of the
subsurface Kuroshio waters. Whether the ECS will become eutrophicated,
therefore, actually depends on the amount of phosphorus supply supported by
on-shore advection. This supply, though, will very likely be reduced after the
completion of the Three Gorges Dam, and this will lead to a diminished
productivity in the ECS.
Estimating erosion rates on sloping agricultural land in the Yangtze Three
Gorges, China, from caesium-137 measurements. Lu XX, Higgitt DL.
CATENA. 39 (1): 33-51 FEB 28 2000
The paper describes the application of caesium-137 measurements for
estimating soil erosion rates in a small catchment in the Three Gorges region of
the Yangtze River, China. The construction of the Three Gorges Dam has drawn
attention to the impact of erosion and sedimentation, but there are relatively few
quantitative estimates of sediment transfer for this area. Mean annual soil loss
during the last four decades is estimated at 4500 t km(-2) yr(-1). Erosion rates
are strongly related to field slope angles but highly variable spatially.
Discontinuity geometry characterization in a tunnel close to the proposed
permanent shiplock area of the three gorges dam site in China
Kulatilake PHSW, Chen J, Teng J, Shufang X, Pan G
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS AND MINING SCIENCES
& GEOMECHANICS ABSTRACTS. 33 (3): 255-277 APR 1996
Discontinuity data from a 400 m tunnel located close to the proposed
shiplock area were investigated to characterize the discontinuity geometry of the
rock mass around the tunnel. Traces of 39 major discontinuities (faults and
dykes) were found on the tunnel exposures. Over 2000 minor discontinuity (joint)
trace data available showed that the rock mass can be separated into about five
statistically homogeneous regions. Three to four joint sets were found to exist in
each of these regions. Results indicated that the 2 m wide exposures which were
used for collecting the joint trace data may not be sufficient to produce reliable
estimates for joint size parameters for the shiplock area. Different estimates were
obtained based on wall data and roof data. To obtain better estimates, it is
suggested to collect joint data for several exposures which are at least 4-5 m
wide and have different orientations. When such data become available for the
Three Gorges region, it is suggested to perform validation studies to check the
applicability of the models, in addition to performing joint geometry modelling.
The hydraulic turbines of the Three Gorges dam
Bremond J, Vuillerod G. HOUILLE BLANCHE-REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE L
EAU
54 (3-4): 46-50 1999 [Language: French]
As part of the hydroelectric installation of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze river
in China, the Alstom group recorded a major order for the supply of 8 Francis
10
turbines out of the 14 to be installed in the left bank power station. This collosal
project will include 26 Francis turbines of 710 MW, a spillway designed for a
maximum flow of 116 000 m(3)/s, a shiplock of 5 steps with a capacity of 10 000
tons and a shiplift of 3000 tons. The concrete gravity dam will be 2.3 km long. As
oriented by the Specifications, and due to their exceptional size (runner diameter
: 9800 mm), the design of these units relies upon well-proofed solutions such as
those already experienced on the Itaipu south American large scale hydro
project, in which Alstom already contributed 20 years ago. The runners (450 tons
each, external diameter 10 600 mm) will be fabricated by welding of separate
elements made of martensitic stainless steel. Most of the components have to be
delivered in several parts and reassembled at site by welding or bolting. The left
bank power station is scheduled to be operational in 2006.
11