ABSTRACT
The RCC cofferdam of the Three Gorges Project (TGP) consists of the longitudinal and the transversal cofferdams, with a total concrete volume of 3,206,900 m3. The longitudinal cofferdam is 1150.47 m long and has a concrete volume of 1,533,300 m3. Water cooling and joint grouting have for the first time been applied to the RCC structure of the dam body section which is the middle part of the longitudinal cofferdam. The transversal cofferdam, 580 m long at crest with a concrete volume of 1,673,600 m3, which should be finished within 4 months, reached a daily pouring intensity of 21,066 m3 on January 22, 2003 and a peak monthly pouring intensity of 476,000 m3, both almost twice as the previous world records of the daily and monthly RCC pouring intensity. It was poured to the crest by April 16, 2003 and will function to retain water in early June, 2003 together with the left bank dam 4 years ahead of schedule, with a retaining reservoir capacity of 14.7 billion m3, allowing for the achievement of reservoir impoundment, navigation improvement and power generation ahead of schedule.
