There are many complex hydraulic concrete structures built or under construction in China, which have exerted or will exert great economic and social benefits. However, their safe services will directly affect the social stability. It is of prominent significance in view of safeguarding engineering security to carry out the research and development of full life service behavior (FLSB) diagnosis technology of hydraulic concrete structures integrating design, construction and operation, reveal the evolution mechanism of FLSB, and realize the scientific diagnosis of FLSB variation of complex hydraulic concrete structures.

Supported by the projects funded by National Key Technology Support Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China, major ministerial and provincial research projects and contracted engineering research projects, NHRI research team has devoted itself to scientific and technological research and engineering practices of new devices, new equipment, new technology and new methods for the performance evaluation of hydraulic concrete in molding period, fine detection of structure damages after molding, process diagnosis of structure failure by composite forces in service period, FLSB monitoring and abnormality causes analysis for different types of hydraulic concrete structures for 15 years. A set of technology has been independently researched and developed to diagnose FLSB of complex hydraulic concrete structures, which have provided important supports to the improvement of engineering construction quality and safeguarding the service safety after its successful application in the design, construction and operation of 112 major hydraulic and hydropower projects and large span railway and highway bridges, and played an important promotion role in improving China’s international status and market competiveness in the field of safety monitoring of hydraulic structures after the industrialization of core patented technology and acceptance by international and national technical standards.

1. Major Innovative Achievements

1.1 A core performance test device has been developed for complex hydraulic concrete during molding period, and a fast evaluation technique proposed for casting quality control parameters, increasing the qualification rate of hydraulic concrete pouring up to 98% or more.

1.2 The bottleneck has been broken for the application of damage-fracture mechanics in complex hydraulic concrete engineering. An accurate simulation device and system of structural stress have been developed for the complex hydraulic concrete after molding, and the fine testing technology invented for the whole process of damage fracture after molding so as to solve the difficulty of determination of fracture initiation point. The error between the true value and test value of the crack initiation point of concrete is controlled within 0.2%.

1.3 A compound stress analysis theory has been established for the prestressed composite structures of complex hydraulic concrete, the assessment technique of compound stress damage developed for a structure during its service life, and the repair technique and methods of damaged structures proposed, filling the gap of compound stress state diagnosis of prestressed composite concrete structures.

1.4 Series monitoring devices of FLSB and abnormality diagnosis method have been invented for complex hydraulic concrete structures, by which the prediction error of structural deformation of concrete dams is less than 2%. An integrated platform has been developed for the safety assessment of structural service process.

These achievements are of great significance to improve the construction quality of complex hydraulic concrete structures, ensure the safety of their services and promote the development of hydraulic engineering disciplines.

2. Academic Outputs and Third-Party Evaluation

The achievements have been accepted by International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (RILEM), and some quality supervision departments and design and construction agencies of water and hydropower industries in China, and incorporated into one international standard, 2 national standards and 3 water industrial standards.

60 patents were granted, among which 27 were invention ones. 2 software copyrights were obtained.

6 monographs were published either in Chinese or in English, so were 285 papers (among which 179 papers were included by SCI and EI.).

5 first prizes of provincial/ministerial science and technology progress award were won by the achievements. They were as following.

Study and Practice of Static and Dynamic Damage Fracture Process and Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Hydraulic Concrete won the First Prize of Dayu Water Science and Technology Award in 2012.

Test, Theory and Application of Compound Stress Essential Properties of Prestressed Combined Box Girder Structure won the First Prize of Dayu Water Science and Technology Award in 2011.

Theory and Practice of Continuous Prestressed Composite Structures won the First Prize of Dayu Water Science and Technology Award in 2015.

Key Technology of Major Accident Control and Emergency Rescue of Super-Large Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering Construction won the First Prize of Science and Technology Award sponsored by China Occupational Safety and Health Association in 2013.

Theory and Method of Deep Anti-Sliding Stability Analysis of Gravity Dams and Their Applications won the First Prize of China Hydropower Science and Technology Progress Award in 2012.

The achievements won the Second Prize of 2016 National Award for Technological Invention. This prize was the first one recommended by the Ministry of Water Resources of China since the implementation of Regulations on National Science and Technology Award in 1999.

3. Application, Promotion and Comprehensive Benefits

Typical applications are as following.

3.1 The core patented technology has been accepted by RILEM, and some quality supervision departments and design and construction agencies of water and hydropower industries in China.

3.2 The research achievements have been utilized in comprehensive inspections of cracks of a good number of major hydraulic concrete dam bodies, and diagnosis of overall behaviors of dams with improvement schemes of aseismic design and performance proposed.

3.3 Series new types of hydraulic concrete prestressed composite structures have been widely applied in the design and optimization of complex hydraulic concrete structures, saving 10%-30% of steel and decreasing 10%-20% of total construction cost of a project.

3.4 The integrated platform of whole life service safety assessment of hydraulic concrete structures has been utilized in comprehensive behavior diagnosis of two old dams of the Xin’anjiang Reservoir and Fengman Reservoir with early warning technique proposed. Besides, it has also been used in the structural behavior diagnosis of the Xiluodu Project, Gutian Project, Longtan Project, and Yantan Project, exerting an important role in safeguarding engineering safety.

3.5 The technology and methods of diseased structure diagnosis, evaluation, repair, and performance improvement of complex hydraulic concrete structures have been widely applied in hydraulic and hydropower projects with giant social and economic benefits achieved.

The research achievements have been applied in the service behavior diagnosis and improvement of concrete structures in 112 major hydraulic and hydropower projects, such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, Jinping First-Cascade Hydropower Project, Xiluodu Hydropower Project, generating economic benefits of RMB 789 million.

A large number of science and technology talents have been fostered with many honorable national titles, such as national model teacher, winner of National Outstanding Youth Fund, national candidates of New Century Talents Project, leading talents of National Youth Science and Technology Innovation, etc. 23 doctoral students and 64 master students were trained, and 4 of the doctoral students and 5 of the master students won the excellent dissertations evaluated by Jiangsu Province.