An Experimental Approaches of Structural and Hydraulic Performance for the Kaptai Dam, Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajgt.v4i1.6071Keywords:
Experimental Evaluation, Hydraulic Performance, Kaptai Dam of Bangladesh, Reservoir Sedimentation, Structural IntegrityAbstract
Bangladesh has a major hydro power plant, Kaptai Dam (which provides 10% of national power) and is more than sixty years old, which means it is at risk of performance due to the obsolescence and sedimentation. There was prior research only on the displacement and power generation but left out the reservoir capacity loss rate, structures of a dam under loads, and water management efficiency during climate change, which is not supportive of reconstruction. The research seeks to fill the gaps through elaborate civil engineering tests: historical evaluation of design/engineering of the dam, objective measurements of its structural/hydraulic performance and sustainability in water management. Some of the methods are ASTM-compliant NDT, concrete core tests, ANSYS FEM, bathymetric surveys, sediment sampling and power data regression deployed here. Findings indicate a 19% decrease in concrete compressive strength, focused tensile stress, a 26.2 MCM/year sedimentation (a drop in storage of 25.1 per cent and a drop in power efficiency of 18 per cent) and a vicious circle of sedimentation and structural degradation. It points out flaws of reactive maintenance, suggests the combined management approach, and offers a unified framework (monitoring, sediment / watershed management) to operate safely and efficiently in the future dam construction.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Md Hasib Khandakar, Badal Hossain, Md Foyez Khan, Md Touobur Rahman
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