Abstract: Deep cracks and penetrated cracks may develop from surface cracks, which are forming a major type of cracking in dam concrete, and therefore thermal insulation is a key measure to prevent concrete cracking. In construction of the Xiluodu super high arch dam, a systemic study on the schemes of surface insulation was conducted, including determination of technical standards, simulation analysis, optimization of construction schemes, and standard process studies. Based on this work, this paper describes a specific, fine insulation process of dam concrete that can meet the cracking control needs of super high arch dams. Comprehensive real-time site monitoring and site quality inspection on this arch dam shows that our insulation process achieves significant insulation effects and it can control the risk of cracking on the concrete surface effectively.

Key words: hydropower engineering, super high arch dam, thermal insulation, thermal insulation material, numerical simulation