Interaction of Hydraulic Structures with Air, Water, and Rock: The Challenge of Researchers and Designers

Since the last ten years, financial crisis has strongly impacted the global economy, which was mainly the result of un-controlled financial speculations at the stock markets highlighted by the revelations regarding offshore companies. Fortunately, the field of construction of large infrastructures, such as hydraulic schemes, has been left relatively untouched by this crisis. In order to stimulate their economies, many governments across the world have injected significant sums into sustainable infrastructures development

Design of Pressure Relief Valves for Protection of Steel-Lined Pressure Shafts and Tunnels Against Buckling During Emptying

Using high-strength steels for pressure shafts and tunnel liners and taking into account significant rock mass participation allows the design of comparatively thin steel liners in hydropower projects. Nevertheless, during emptying of waterways, these steel linings may be endangered by buckling. Compared with traditional measures such as increased steel liner thickness and stiffeners, pressure relief valves are a very economical solution for protection of steel liners against critical external pressure and therefore buckling during emptying. A calculation procedure has been developed for the design of the required number and arrangement of pressure relief valves, and this has been used successfully in practice. Systematic model tests enabled the assumptions of the design method to be verifie

Vom Labyrinth- zum Klaviertastenwehr

Unregulierte freie Überfallwehre sind hydraulisch effizient und sicher im Betrieb. Da die Oberfallkapazität direkt von der Länge des Wehres abhängt, wurde vor längerer Zeit das Labyrinthwhr entwickelt. Dessen hydraulische Funktionsweise unter dem Einfluss der verschiedenen geometrischen Parameter ist recht gut bekannt. Die Auslegung basiert jedoch immer noch auf experimentell bestimmten und verallgemeinerten Bemessungsdiagrammen

Les ouvrages hydrauliques annexes comme des éléments de conception et de sécurité des barrages.

La conférence invitée souligne que les ouvrages annexes sont des éléments importants pour la conception et la sécurité structurale du barrage. Après une introduction générale sur l’importance des barrages pour le développement des infrastructures de l’eau vitales partout dans le monde, les ouvrages hydrauliques annexes aux barrages sont brièvement décrits comme éléments de conception et de sécurité. Les enjeux du choix ainsi les défis de dimensionnement pour les différentes ouvrages annexes sont abordés et illustrés avec quelques exemples de recherche

Competitive pumped-storage projects with vertical pressure shafts without steel linings

For the highly loaded pressure tunnels and shafts that are used for the extension of storage power plants with pumped storage and to increase installed capacity, alignments of the waterway system with high overburden are of great importance from the economical and safety points of view. With the development of the raise-boring method, vertical pressure shafts can now be drilled up to 800 m in one step. Considering rock cover, the use of vertical pressure shafts can enable optimal alignments. If the vertical shaft is located deep enough in the rock mass and safety against hydraulic jacking can be ensured, no steel liner is required in the shaft as long as rock permeability is low, and a reinforced concrete lining is sufficient. This is designed in order to limit crack widths and thus keep water losses below acceptable values. In view of highly increasing steel prices, such a concept results in economic and competitive pumped-storage projects

Talsperren und Speicher als lebenswichtige Infrastrukturanlagen für den weltweiten Wohlstand = Dams and Reservoirs as Vital Water Infrastructures Ensuring Worldwide Economic Prosperity

History shows that the economic prosperity of a society and its cultural wealth was always closely related to the level of the development of the hydraulic schemes, including dams and reservoirs. In view of climate change, dams and reservoirs will and have to play an even more important role as mitigation and adaptation infrastructures in order to satisfy the vital needs in water, renewable energy and food in the different continents worldwide. To gain wide acceptance and to obtain a win-win situation between all stakeholders, such large water infrastructures projects have to be designed as multi-purpose projects by multidisciplinary teams with a complex system approach. This needs excellence in engineering sciences and management. Through the excellent work of his technical committees, ICOLD is contributing to the worldwide vision "better dams for a better world"