Beijing Admits to 'Urgent' Problems with Three Gorges Dam

reply to post by SLAYER69


Issues were brought up during the planning stage when it was pointed out that the magnitude of size of the damn and the amount of water to be held back, coupled with the types of rocks in the area, would be a problem.

The rocks arent geologicaly stable when that much pressue is placed on them.

Why listen to the experts though....

The damage the dam has caused in terms of archological sites being wiped out is immense. The damage of an uncontrolled release will just finish the other side of that coin.

Maybe its a simple case of Chinese engineers being *snip*

i cant remember where i heard and read but the 3 gorges damn was so heavy they said the earth titled from under the massive weight of the project.

i really dont know if thats truth or not.

but if its anything else chinese made i shiudder to think of the possibilties all over the world corners are cut and engineering has been known to fail after the fact.

with as many as 1 million people in the direct path of a damn break all i can say is run for the high ground.

we will see if it lasts as long as the hoover damn back when america had engineers

It is good that party is finally publicly acknowledging the concerns about potential structural failures in the Three Gorges Dam. It has been a growing concern among engineers during construction and since the dam went online. Nothing to my knowledge has been built to rival it, but like going into space or walking on the moon; it carries risks.

Do the pros outweigh the cons? I think they do, because the mighty Yangtze has always been a force to reckon with for the Chinese. However, I think harnessing the monster for electricity, improvements in shipping, and attempts to control the flow of the river far outweighs the cons. Thousands have been killed when the river floods. Like the massive undertaking to build the thing, the security and maintenance will be just as massive. Hopefully, the necessary steps will be taken to remedy the potential infrastructure failures as they arise? Any breach in the dam would be devastating. Not only for the Chinese people, but the Communist Party of China.

Well i hope nothing really comes from this.
Just seems odd how they keep releasing info on this and use words such as Catastrophe and disaster etc.

Originally posted by lestweforget
Maybe its a simple case of Chinese engineers being sh!t.

I doubt it. The more likely cause of infrastructure collapses in general like the collapsed roadway is more likely to be related to this:

Originally posted by eLPresidente
Massive corruption still plagues China, contracted companies find ways to pinch more profits for their pockets while cutting corners. This is why they have so many problems with infrastructure

That's more likely. Not an engineering problem, but a management problem.

Same thing with Three Gorges Dam, I'll bet the engineers pointed out all the potential pitfalls before it was ever built. But managers and leaders decided to just go ahead and build it anyway.

The Chinese planned to build three nuclear power plants on the Yangtze River below the three gorges dam.

But they seem to be getting smarter they have now canceled the reactors after what happened in japan. (they were still going to build them before the Japanese problem even though the dam had problems)

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Well i hope nothing really comes from this.
Just seems odd how they keep releasing info on this and use words such as Catastrophe and disaster etc.

It does make you wonder if they are releasing the "true nature" of the urgency or not; is it actually worse then what they have said? Would not doubt it...

This disaster is a work in progress, first they displaced untold thousands and flooded entire villages, now the eco system is in serious trouble. These idiots knew what was going to happen and actually said so on numerous occasions.
Earth is going to shake us off like a dog with fleas, and it's coming soon. Our hubris is our undoing as we try to conquer nature and manipulate the atom for profit. With bullets and paper we have purchased our ticket to Hell.

I dunno...

If this is repeatedly being discussed by TPTB in China out in the open I sure has hell wouldn't want to live down river from it.

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by jaynkeel
I remember seeing a Nat Geo show about that dam. What an amazing structure indeed. It's a shame as it seems no country is immune as of lately when it comes to infrastructure problems. Will keep an ear out for any further news, S&F.

I didn't have too much confidence in China's rapidly expanding infrastructure. Anybody reading this remember the fairly recent Chinese "Highway ramp" that just simply fell over with no Earthquakes or landslide?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0198ebcd0072.jpg[/atsimg]

edit on 19-5-2011 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

Yes,. It would seem that china is like a child with an great
inheritance of money and they have no Idea how to spend it,. but just do. Not at all understanding the exacts of life
or how to research.

reply to post by Lil Drummerboy



Well one wonders if this is the type of construction going on in China I would seriously worry about the larger projects such as the Three Gorges Dam. Never mind some of them shiny new skyscrapers

Originally posted by Lil DrummerboyYes,. It would seem that china is like a child with an great
inheritance of money and they have no Idea how to spend it,. but just do. Not at all understanding the exacts of life
or how to research.

China is like a child? Really?

I don't guess you've been keeping up with the state of US infrastructure recently.



That's an interstate collapse in 2009 in Michigan. Shoddy construction jobs are a problem no matter where you go.


I do find it very ironic though that you are comparing China to a child when, if anything, the US is the child compared to China. They invented gunpowder before we were even a twinkle in Great Britain's eyes.

reply to post by DJM8507

Thats fear mongering at best.

An insane stretch at the worst. A dam collapsing is not going to wobble the entire world..

Originally posted by bsbray11
I do find it very ironic though that you are comparing China to a child when, if anything, the US is the child compared to China. They invented gunpowder before we were even a twinkle in Great Britain's eyes.

Giving the present Chinese credit for those ancient achievements is like giving the present day Egyptian Government credit for building the great Pyramid or Downing street credit for Stonehenge.

Their 55+ years young Government are newcomers to modern construction technique no matter how you slice it.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by bsbray11

I'm just waiting for the US to send in special ops and rig it with explosives, or focus a weather weapon on it. Maybe the reason they haven't done that already is because China isn't exactly the push-over they want us to believe it is.

Hate much? Seems to be all you have for the US.


Leave US out of picture, Do you believe the dam poses a threat for the Chinese people?

IMO, it does. I believe managers and contractors took shortcuts and those shortcuts are becoming apparent.

Originally posted by jam321
Hate much? Seems to be all you have for the US.

For our "leaders" and their "foreign policy," then you've pretty much nailed it.

Leave US out of picture, Do you believe the dam poses a threat for the Chinese people?

Sure it does. But I'm not going to make that into a China vs. USA pissing contest like others here are trying to do, because we have our own infrastructure problems to worry about.

Originally posted by bsbray11
Sure it does. But I'm not going to make that into a China vs. USA pissing contest like others here are trying to do, because we have our own infrastructure problems to worry about.

What are you smoking? Seriously?
This thread is about the 3 Gorge Dam and how some of China's rapid infrastructure expansion is shabby. THERE IS NO pissing contest. The US didn't come up until you chose to post some half assed jab at the US here.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

So if anybody has a beef it's you.

TROLL MUCH?

reply to post by bsbray11

For our "leaders" and their "foreign policy," then you've pretty much nailed it.

Is this hatred toward them working? I would imagine they love to be hated on. IMO, gives them that PR moment they crave.

But I'm not going to make that into a China vs. USA pissing contest like others here are trying to do, because we have our own infrastructure problems to worry about.

I agree about our own infrastructure. But this thread is about the Chinese dam. Just found it odd you were first one to bring US into it.

Anyway, thanks for your response. I hope that China solves the problem it has with this damn promptly and that we start handling our infrastructure as well.