CHAPTER - 3 BEST PRACTICES IN PLANNING, DESIGNS & CONS- TRUCTION OF CIVIL WORKS OF HYDRO POWER PROJECTS “This chapter gives a detailed step by step procedural account of various stages involved in planning, design and construction of civil works of hydro power projects. Topics like types of hydro power Projects, components, power house installation, types of dams and the related geo-mechanics, instrumentation, measurements of features like gates, barrages and tunnels, safety assurances, maintenance and remedial measures for ensuring optimum performance levels have been dealt in quite detail. Each step involved in setting up of a hydro power project is elaborated with appropriate references and precise mathematical formulae.” 3.1. INTRODUCTION 3.1.1 Hydro Power Projects harness the potential energy of the water at a relatively higher elevation, which is converted first into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy. This transformation of energy from one form to another is facilitated by the water in motion. This journey from 120 MW Tanakpur Power Station (Uttaranchal) - Barrage 593.1.2 3.2 3.21 water to watts is through water conductor system, which may comprise of intake structure, trash rack structure, desilting chamber, head race channel / tunnel, surge chamber / shaft, penstock, power house (spiral case, turbine, draft tube ete.) & finally tail race channel / tunnel. This chapter deals with the basic design philosophies & best practices in vogue in planning, design & construction of these civil works, which facilitate the journey from water to watts. Hydel civil design is unique and depends primarily on site specific features, viz., topology, geology, hydro-meteorology ete. No practice can, therefore, be generalized in case of hydel civil design and presented as best practice. As such, one has to begin with basic classification system and their general characteristics to evolve best practice suitable for a specific site condition. STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION Best Practices in planning, design and construction of Civil works in Hydro-Power Projects are taken care of at the following four stages: Feasibility report stage Detailed project report stage Tender preparation stage Construction stage design and implementation stage These four stages are described as below: Feasibility report stage During basic planning of the project besides engineering issues, environment, ecology and other socio - economic factors also play important role. However here only the conceptual and engineering issues are detailed i) Detailed study of hydrology, which includes water availability studies, flood studies and collection of historical hydrological data and meteorological data. ii) The installed capacity of the project along with design head and the design discharge for the project. ili) Fixation of location of the dam and the powerhouse. 603.2.2 iv) vy) vi) vii) viii) ix) Fixing of the height of the dam above riverbed. Fixing the preliminary layout of the water conductor system: Fixing the type of the power house Working out the design energy for the project. Evaluation of infrastructure works likely to be involved. To work out the knowledge of civil design, electrical design, hydrology, geology, construction and cost engineering is very important to arrive at a good feasibility report, Detailed Project Report stage Detailed project report is the outcome of detailed investigations and studies carried out at the site, These detailed investigations essentially include the detailed information on subsurface geology along with detailed hydrological studies based upon the historical hydrological data available. The following essential tasks are performed during the DPR stage design vii) vill) ix) xi) xii) xiii) xiv) xv) xvi) Precise study of hydrology. Detailed investigation and study of geology. Decision on the type of dam Fixation of spillway design flood Fixation of spillway system and the sizing of the same. River diversion scheme. Fixation of the layout of water conductor system. Fixation of size of HRT. Fixation of the type of intake and desilting arrangement. To fix the location of the surge shaft based upon topographical and geological information To fix the size of the surge shatt, based upon transient studies. Fixing the detailed layout of powerhouse complex including location of access tunnels and ventilation tunnels To work out powerhouse planning in consultation with E&M group. To work out the details of TRT outlet and its joining with the river To work out details of HM equipments proposed for the projects Detailed assessment of infrastructure and construction machinery requirement. 61