Compressibility and Permeability Tests on Sediment from Shi Men Reservoir
Water storage at Shi Men Reservoir started in May of 1963. After more than 40 years of service, the sediment in the reservoir has accumulated to 55,868,000 m3, amounts to 18.07% of the storage capacity. The Aerey typhoon of 2004 brought in large quantities of sediment. The area surrounding the intake of the power plant (elevation 173 m) has been covered by over 10 m of sediment. In order to facilitate the safety evaluation of the intake valve operation, Northern Region Water Resources Office (NRWRO) decided to take sediment samples from the power plant intake area and perform laboratory tests to determine the state of consolidation and other engineering properties of the sediment. The research team at Natural Hazard Mitigation Research Center of NCTU retrieved sediment samples from the field and performed a series of seepage controlled consolidation tests. Analyses were then made to determine the safety of intake valve operation