Huaneng Nuozhadu Hydropower Project received Zhan Tianyou Award

On June 3, the 15th Zhan Tianyou Award Ceremony for Civil Engineering was held in Beijing. The Nuozhadu Hydropower Station of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Inc. won the Zhan Tianyou Award.

The core-wall rockfill dam of Nuozhadu Hydropower Project is currently the benchmark high earth-rock dam project in China, with the largest dam height of 261.5 meters. It ranks first in China and third in the world among all completed earth-rock dams. The scale of the open spillways ranks first in Asia, with maximum discharge flow of 31,318 cubic meters per second, and discharge power of 66.94 GW, ranking the first in the world among shore spillways.

In response to the construction difficulties of the ultra-high core rockfill dam under the condition of “high water head, large volume, and large deformation”, the project has fully carried out for more than 10 years of research and practice, and has systematically proposed the adoption of the complete set of technologies of artificial gravel mixed with gravel soil material and soft rock pile materials, as well as the complete set of design criteria for ultra-high core rockfill dams. The project has improved the static and dynamic constitutive models for dam materials, and the calculation and analysis methods for hydraulic fracturing and fractures, and has established a comprehensive evaluation system for dam safety. The project has researched and developed the “digital dam” construction quality real-time monitoring system for the first time, and has created a new method of construction quality management and control for earth-rock dams in the world, which has made important contributions to the development of rockfill dam technology in the world. The project has placed great emphasis on energy conservation, land saving, water conservation, material saving, and environmental protection, with significant socio-economic and environmental benefits.

The Zhan Tianyou Award is approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and certified by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, in order to honor the spirit of scientific and technological innovation, and recognize and reward engineering projects that make outstanding achievements in technological innovation and new technology application. It is the highest honor for scientific and technological innovation in the field of civil engineering in China.