A safety monitoring system has been set up in the dam of China's
Three Gorges Hydropower Project in preparation for storing water
and navigation, according to sources of the builder.
To
ensure safe operation, the 2309-meter-long and 185-meter-hight dam
built by the Three Gorges Project Development Corporation has
adopted the world's most advanced safety monitoring methods, the
sources said.
To
date, more than 5,100 monitoring instruments have been installed on
the dam and 8 million pieces of data have been input in the
monitoring system.
The sources said that the monitoring system is able to monitor
possible dam deformation, crevices, hydraulics, crustal stress,
structural power, the ageing of materials and leaks.
At
present, all monitoring apparatus are operational.
A
safety appraisal conducted by an expert panel sent by the central
government confirms that the dam buildings and metal structures,
which will ensure safety once the water storage is completed on
June 1, are functioning normally.
(People's Daily May 24, 2003)