Innovative technology for the Danjiangkou dam heightening project, China

The Danjiangkou dam, on the main stream of the Hanjiang river in China, is a multipurpose scheme, serving as the main sub-project of the Middle-Line South-to-North Water-Transfer Project. The elevation of the dam crest has been heightened by 14.6 m, and the storage capacity has increased by 11.06 x 109m3 . Based on in-situ field tests and numerical analysis, a design theory involving "a finite combination of the combined surface with back assistance" was proposed for the heightening project, and a combined load-bearing capacity of the new and old dam bodies has been achieved. The research findings are of significant theoretical and practical value for concrete dam heightening projects, and serve as a pioneering endeavour in the history of hydraulic construction in China.