Seismic Safety Evaluation of Concrete Dams. A Nonlinear Behavioral Approach




1.1 BACKGROUND

1.1.1 Hydropower Development

China is one of the richest countries in the worldin hydropower potential,

with an exploitable capacity of 540 10 3 MW. However, the developed

capacity is currently is 46%, far lower than that of the USA, Japan, Canada

and many hydropower-rich European countries [1] (Fig. 1.1).

As hydropower is a green and renewable energy resource, its development

in China is a crucial strategy for supporting rapid economic

growth, while improving environmental conditions which are becoming

a serious problem, partly as a result of coal power development. In the

coming three decades, 13 hydropower bases (Fig. 1.2), mainly in southwest

China, including the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Lanchang

Rivers and their branches (Jinsha, Yalong and Dadu Rivers), are planned

to be developed with a total capacity of 278 10 3 MW, 51% of the total

hydropower potential of the nation. As an example of cascade development,

Fig. 1.3 shows the development plan of Yalong River. As the most

developed regions are concentrated in the east Yangtze Delta and south

Pearl River coast, where there is a serious shortage of energy resources,

transmitting hydroelectricity from the west to the east (and south) is an

important task in the years ahead.


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