Innovative Design and Construction of a High RCC Gravity Dam in High Seismic Intensity Region

A few innovative designs and construction measures are introduced to build a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam with a height of 160 m (524.96 ft), whereas the design peak ground acceleration of the dam site is 0.3995 g. The grouting construction joints are designed between the plant and dam parts to enhance the earthquake-resistant ability of the dam. To improve the lateral stability of the dam, the depth of the construction joint is only 2/3 of the dam thickness in each roller-compacted layer, and the joints are filled with nonwoven fabrics. This treatment causes the construction joints to be weakly connected induced joints, which are not only good for temperature stress release but also enhance the integrity of the dam. Steel bars are embedded in high-tensile stress zones to ensure dam safety. Some other aspects, such as layout of the stilling basin, spillway chute design, high-pressure consolidation grouting of dam foundation, the reinforcement of slumping mass on the left bank, and other engineering measures, are also described in this paper.