A 38.1-meter concrete core sample was successfully extracted from the dam of the Yebatan Hydropower Station on May 11, which is China's highest-altitude double-curvature arch dam power plant under construction, setting a new world record for core sampling in similar arch dams.
A 38.1-meter concrete core sample was successfully extracted from the high-altitude dam of the Yebatan Hydropower Station on May 11. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
With a maximum dam height of 217 meters and a total concrete volume of 2.51 million cubic meters, the structural integrity of the dam relies heavily on the quality of concrete placement. The extracted core provides direct evidence of interlayer bonding and overall construction quality.
This project’s high-altitude location posed extreme technical construction challenges. With temperature swings from 37.1 degrees Celsius in the day to minus 23.5 degrees Celsius at night, the project team, collaborating with academicians and experts -- successfully extracted the concrete core by using smart construction technologies including AI-assisted temperature control and winter pouring insulation systems.
The core sample, measuring 38.1 meters in length and 245 millimeter in diameter, was drilled vertically through 13 sections of the arch dam, cutting across 12 horizontal joints and 80 layers of poured concrete.
Located on the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, at the junction of Baiyu County in southwest China’s Sichuan Province and Konjo County in Xizang Autonomous Region, the Yebatan Hydropower Station has a total installed capacity of 2.24 million kilowatts, placing it among the country’s largest hydropower projects.
The first batch of generating units is scheduled to go online by the end of 2025. Once fully operational, the station will produce an average of 10.205 billion kilowatt-hours annually, saving approximately 3.99 million tons of standard coal and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 7.37 million tons each year.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
