Hydraulic Structures

The major function of a hydraulic project (i.e., water project) is to alter the natural

behavior of a water body (river, lake, sea, groundwater) by concentrating its flow fall.

It is intended for purposeful use for the benefits of national economy and to protect

the environment, including electric power generation, flood control, water supply,

silt mitigation, navigation, irrigation and draining, fish handling and farming,

ecologic protection, and recreation.

It is common that a number of hydraulic structures (i.e., hydraulic works) of general

or special purposes are constructed to form a single or integrated hydraulic project to

comprehensively serve foregoing purposes.

Such a project is known as the water resources project or hydropower project in China,

and the latter is primarily for electric power generation in addition to other possible benefits.

The general-purpose and special-purpose hydraulic structures which are parts of a hydraulic project can be further divided into main, auxiliary, and temporary structures.