Technical water supply systems intaking water via intermediate water tank

A technical water supply systems intaking water via intermediate water tank raises strict requirements for the surrounding environments of the hydropower station. An intermediate water tank gets water from many sources, such as mountain streams and pressure water, and then conducts automatic-flow water supply through steel pipes.

An intermediate water tank is sensitive to the uneven sink of the base. So, it requires that the base should be even. To build a high-capacity water tank on a collapsible or uneven base, it is required to treat the base according to the related specifications and correct the basic structure, so as to improve the evenness of the base and the ability of the water tank in resisting nonuniform deformation, and to avoid the case where the tank body cracks and the water in the tanks penetrates into the subsoil through the cracks. Under external load and dead weight, a soaked foundation may generate additional collapsible deformation, which may aggravate differential settlement of the foundation as well as accelerate damage of the water tank.

In the earthquake on May 12, 2008, the dam of Zipingpu power station which is near to the epicenter settles 15cm, the buildings of the plants as well as office and living quarters encounter with large-area wall cracking. The pipelines in the system, however, are kept intact, and no problem is found on each valve and device on the pipeline.

It is not difficult to see that an intermediate water tank raises high requirements for its surrounding environment. It is not recommended to build an intermediate water tanks as the preferred technical water supply system in areas where there are frequent geological movement and the mountain structure is fragile.