Three Gorges Dam Easier to Maintain Once Reservoir is Full: Expert

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 01, 2003

Three Gorges Dam Easier to Maintain Once Reservoir is Full: Expert

The Three Gorges Dam will be much easier to maintain once the reservoir is full, said Zhang Chaoran, chief engineer of the Three Gorges Project.

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The Three Gorges Dam will be much easier to maintain once the reservoir is full, said Zhang Chaoran, chief engineer of the Three Gorges Project.

The reservoir has been storing water on a trial basis since May 25, and the water will rise to 135 meters by June 15, said Zhang in an interview with Xinhua.

"By then, 55 meters of the 185-meter-high dam will be underwater and therefore will be better preserved," said Zhang, who believes the change in water temperature will be far less significant than that of the atmospheric air.

Prior to water storage, it was difficult to maintain the temperature of the Three Gorges dam at the required level to prevent cracking and to ensure safety, Zhang explained.

Strict measures have been taken to control the temperature of the Three Gorges Dam and to prevent the dam from cracking. Despite these efforts, some minor cracks have been found in the Three Gorges Dam due to the drastic changes in temperature in the area.

The cracks found in the dam have been dealt with in time, and apanel of specialists sent by the State Council concluded that the repaired cracks will not have a major negative impact on the safety of the Three Gorges dam.

Construction of the Three Gorges dam project began in 1993. It is scheduled to be completed in 2009, when 26 power-generating units with a combined capacity of 18.2 million kilowatts will be operational.

The dam project will formally begin storing water on Sunday.

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