A state-owned enterprise based in Tianjin, China Water Resources and Hydropower Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd., has been honored with a National Science and Technology Progress Award for its work on a major national infrastructure initiative. The company received the second prize for its project on "Key Technologies for Emergency Response and Utilization of Landslide Lakes."
The challenge originated in 2014 following an earthquake in Ludian, Yunnan, where a massive landslide blocked the Niulan River, forming the Hongshiyan landslide lake. The blockage consisted of approximately 12 million cubic meters of debris, which was impossible to clear in a short timeframe. In the proposed solution, an expert team from China Water Resources and Hydropower Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd. and other institutions planned to use the rubble to construct a new dam. At the time, this approach was widely considered to have low feasibility, as there was no international precedent for such a method.
China Water Resources and Hydropower Foundation Engineering Co., Ltd. has extensive experience from participating in major national projects like the Three Gorges Dam and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The company has accumulated significant technical expertise in disaster management, particularly in dam reinforcement and subsurface seepage control materials. To address the Hongshiyan landslide lake, the company assembled a research and development team of over 100 specialists starting in 2016. Their mission was to refine the technical plan and develop a specialized grouting material resistant to local water flow erosion.
This material was injected into the gaps between rocks, effectively binding the loose rubble together to form a solid dam foundation. After two years of work, the dam's anti-seepage system was successfully completed. In 2023, the Hongshiyan Landslide Dam Hydraulic Complex was officially finished. The structure now serves multiple functions, including flood control, water supply, irrigation, and power generation. Following a period of operational testing and due to its outstanding contribution to the emergency management and development of the landslide lake, the project team was awarded the National Science and Technology Progress Award second prize.
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