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China's Original Contribution to the Winter Olympics: Rock-filled Concrete Technology Leads to "Revolution"

Rock-filled concrete is a new type of mass concrete technology invented by Tsinghua University. For more than 20 years, it has been recognized in China and abroad for its salient features of low temperature rise of hydration heat, good crack resistance, simple construction process, reduced cement consumption and fast construction. In 2021, the Bulletin on Rock-filled Concrete Dam has been issued by International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), as the first technical standard with original Chinese technology as main content since the establishment of ICOLD nearly a century ago. Application of this technology to the reservoir project for 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics fully demonstrates China's scientific and technological strength in original innovation.

Located in Jundu Mountain to the northwest of Yanqing District, Beijing, with 2199 meters above sea level, Xiaohaituo Mountain area has unique climate conditions, beautiful natural environment and high air quality, along with its unique hilly terrain of vertical drop of more than 800 meters which is suitable to build ski trails. All of these make it become the first choice of 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Yanqing division.

These arenas, built on the top of mountains, must have sufficient water nearby to support the artificial snow. Baihepu Reservoir and Foyukou Reservoir convey water to the National Alpine ski center through a multi-stage pressurized pump station to meet the snow-making tasks under various working conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to build two dams in the competition area: one is 1050-meter dam and the other is 900-meter dam so as to achieve the goal of storage and recycling of water resources.

Considering the importance of the Winter Olympic Games and the concept of green ecological environmental protection, the reservoir project site is located in the narrow area between two mountains. The internal and external road transport capacity is insufficient to support fast construction. Moreover, given the complex and diverse terrain conditions of the competition area, conventional concrete dam cannot meet the requirements of short construction period and high construction quality in a high-temperature rainy season. After investigation, Beijing Institute of Water Conservancy Planning and Design Yang Xiaolei (General Director of Design of Snow-making and Water Diversion Project) and his team found that the rock-filled concrete technology is easy to be applied in construction. It makes full use of the site excavation material, and the temperature control measures are simple. Therefore, they chose the new type of rock-filled concrete dam, which has independent intellectual property rights in China, and has been recognized by International Commission on Large Dams.

As the user of rock-filled concrete dam technology, Gao Xitao from Beijing Jinhe Water Construction Group Co., Ltd. is the Construction Director of Snow-making and Water Diversion Project. In the 1050 reservoir project they contracted, the height of the dam is 58m. From the first lift concrete pouring to the capping of the dam, the total pouring time of the dam body is 4 months. He said: "The concrete pouring of a 58-meter-high dam body is completed in 4 months. The progress is very fast in terms of the construction period, which is also a historical construction period for us to break through."

Prof. Jin Feng is the Inventor of Rock-filled Concrete Technology and research team leader at Department of Hydraulic Engineering in Tsinghua University. He introduces that the Rock-filled concrete technology is a new type of mass concrete technology invented by Tsinghua University. This technology refers to packing large rocks (2~3m in height) in a natural manner, and using self-compacting concrete to fill voids among rocks, cementing to form a compact and dense concrete. It is featured by low hydration temperature rise, excellent crack resistance, convenient construction, reduced cement consumption and fast construction.

In addition, the rock-filled concrete technology has significant advantages in energy conservation and emission reduction. The carbon emission of rock-filled concrete is actually only two-thirds of that of ordinary concrete. Therefore, it is very energy-saving and environment-friendly. Especially on the promise that we need to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, carbon peak and dual carbon, rock-filled concrete will show more vigorous vitality. China's damming technology will surely go to the world, making the original Chinese technology become the mainstream damming technology recognized by the world.

After being studied and repeatedly examined in engineering application by the teachers of the Water Conservancy Department of Tsinghua University in engineering application for 20 years, the technology of rock-fill concrete was finally mature. Professor An Xuehui, is inventor of rock-filled concrete technology. He says “The application of rock-filled concrete technology in the Winter Olympics shows the approval of China's top water conservancy experts. It also marks that this technology will be able to move towards the world in the future, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and contribute our Chinese wisdom and strength. ”

By November 2020, more than 130 new rock-filled concrete dams had been built; the technical route of dam construction had been innovated; the difficult problem of temperature control of concrete dam had been overcome; and the technical standard system of rock-fill concrete dam had been established. The Rock-filled Concrete Dam won second class of 2017 national technological invention award (ranking 1). The rock-filled concrete dam has also been promoted to "The Belt and Road Initiative" hydropower construction from China.

The Bulletin on Rock-filled Concrete Dam has become the first technical standard whose main content is China's original technology issued by the International Commission on Large Dams over the past 100 years since its establishment. Michael F. Rogers, President of the International Commission on Large Dams, gives a high appraise on this technology. He believes the original rock-filled concrete dam is safe, reliable and environment-friendly, which is the most rapidly developed dam design and construction technology in the world in recent 20 years. He said, "As ICOLD President, I sincerely support the continued development of Rock-filled concrete dams as critical infrastructure for water resources that that will enable the global scientific and technology community to continue to make progress in science and technology as priority for the well-being of mankind as part of a global awareness for sustainable progress of our human civilization. "

The successful application of original Chinese technology in the reservoir project of the Olympic Winter Games thoroughly explains the scientific, technological, and green Olympics concept, and the rock-filled concrete technology is going to the world " together go to the future ".

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