Abstract: Aimed at the goal of safety, high quality, high efficiency, economy and greenness in the construction of high concrete dams, this paper combines data-driven and mechanism-driven features and describes a digital concrete technology of integrating information and mechanism. And differences in the previous digital concrete theories used in China and abroad are discussed, and digital twins of concrete are developed. Then, based on the architecture of digital concrete, we discuss its composition and energizing technology from three aspects: intelligent analysis database, aggregate generation and packing, and hydration dynamic characteristics. Recent advancements in the research of its energizing technology are reviewed. We discuss its applications to data rescue, combined dam construction technology with high percentage fly ash concrete, and low heat cement dam technology, through examining the high concrete dams of Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba and Wudongde in the lower Jinsha River. Finally, its technical difficulties and application prospects are summarized. The digital concrete presented in this paper is a representation of concrete materials in another dimension. It can be used for cross-scale analysis based on the evolution mechanism of structural performance from the perspectives of nano-, micro-, meso- and macro-scales, and provides a reliable data support and decision basis for intelligent dam construction from the material aspect.

Key words: digital concrete, intelligent analysis database, high concrete dam, mechanism empowerment, cross-scale linkage