Medium Head Hydro Power House Concrete Volumes

The volume of concrete in a hydroelectric powerhouse varies by a large amount, depending mostly on the size of turbine, size of generator, and the foundation conditions. An analysis based on data from 40 powerplants ranging in unit size from 0.5 Mw up to 600 Mw, and operating under heads ranging from 12.2 m up to 273 m is presented. Formulae are developed for estimating concrete volume for outdoor powerhouses containing vertical shaft reaction turbines with steel spiral casings based spiral on turbine throat diameter for heads less than about 110 m, and on generator casing diameter for heads above 110 m. Formulae for use in preliminary estimates are also developed based on unit capacity and head, where head is below 100 m, and on unit capacity only where head is above 110 m. All formulae include a factor for the erection bay size.