CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF YUEYANG POWER-STATION, CHINA

Between August 1986 and December 1990 Mouchel was the civil engineerin g consultant on the 2 x 362 MW coal-fixed Yueyang power station constr ucted by the Huaneng International Power Development Corporation and m ain plant supplier GEC Alsthom Power Plants Ltd in the heart of the Pe ople's Republic of China in Hunan Province. Mouchel commenced detailed engineering design work in February 1988 and issued first working dra wings in under three months to enable commencement of site formation a nd demolition of existing underground structures, A major proportion o f the civil construction materials were provided from sources outside China and particularly careful planning of the logistics of procuremen t and delivery was required. The site is situated on the Yangtze River 600 km inland, 1000 km south of Beijing and a similar distance north of Hong Kong. This paper describes the civil engineering of the projec t and discusses particular aspects of the project management, includin g use of local materials and application of local construction methods . It identifies particular difficulties overcome in the design and con struction associated with the site location and local conditions. Use of appropriate technology is discussed and reference is made to the ac hievement of the Chinese construction force, their adherence to progra mme and also the excellent working relationships established on the pr oject. The role of Mouchel as construction adviser is reported and the benefits of having Chinese engineers within the UK design team are di scussed.