Three Gorges Dam, Yangtze River
Metal structures of a water conservancy project · Hubei — Yichang
At the Three Gorges project, the lock mitre gates, penstocks and trash racks are protected with abrasion-resistant epoxy and siloxane systems: lock gates use moisture-cure abrasion-resistant epoxy with cathodic protection, penstocks a solvent-free extra-high-build abrasion-resistant epoxy (≈800 µm total), and hydro steelwork a PSX 700 siloxane topcoat. The case is taken from PPG's public brochure.
Project overview
The Three Gorges project comprises the dam, the powerhouse, a double-line five-step ship lock and a ship lift — the world's largest water conservancy project. Protecting the metal structures of the lock mitre gates, penstocks and trash racks is one of the key durability issues. The project is documented in PPG's industrial protective coatings brochure (power industry volume).
Corrosion-protection challenges
- Long-term fresh-water immersion and wet–dry cycling in the water-level fluctuation zone demand water and penetration resistance;
- The sediment-laden Yangtze flow causes abrasion on the lock gates and penstocks, an extremely demanding wear regime;
- With restricted dewatering and inspection windows, maintainability and fast cure matter.
Coating system
| Location | System direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lock mitre gates and other metal structures | Moisture-cure abrasion-resistant epoxy (PPG 880 direction) + combined coating and cathodic protection | Technical direction stated in published literature |
| Penstocks | Solvent-free extra-high-build abrasion-resistant epoxy, ≈800 µm total | Per the right-bank penstock application |
| Hydro plant steelwork | PSX 700 siloxane topcoat system | Epoxy barrier with polyurethane-class UV resistance |
The table reflects the system or system direction stated in the manufacturer's material; specific products and film thicknesses are governed by the project's technical documents.
Sources
PPG, An Introduction to Industrial Protective and Marine Coatings (power industry volume, p. 12); published literature on metal-structure corrosion protection at the Three Gorges project.
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Brand involved
The projects shown are documented in the coating manufacturers' own public material, and the coating work was carried out within the manufacturers' own systems. They are provided purely as a technical reference on coating application and have no supply, application or other connection with RichTech Industrial Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
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