A new type of dam apron
Through innovative design of tiered cascade pools and multifunctional structures, the problems of low energy dissipation efficiency, insufficient structural stability, and ecological obstruction of traditional dam aprons have been solved, achieving efficient energy dissipation, ecological restoration, and landscape integration, thus improving the overall performance of dam aprons.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FUJIAN PROVINCIAL INVESTIGATION DESIGN & RES INST OF WATER CONSERVANCY & HYDROPOWER
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
AI Technical Summary
Traditional dam abutment structures suffer from low energy dissipation efficiency, insufficient structural stability, ecological obstruction, and limited functionality. In particular, rubber dams have strong discharge impact, which can easily lead to downstream riverbed erosion, bank collapse, and ecological damage.
A novel dam abutment was designed, employing a layered cascade structure, including lateral dragon-scale-shaped and central wave-shaped cascades. Combined with buffer slopes, fishways, landscaped walkways, and stepping stones, it forms a multi-layered energy dissipation system. Reinforcement structures are installed on the main slope of the abutment to resist the impact of the spillway.
It significantly improved the energy dissipation efficiency of the apron, protected the shoreline, restored the aquatic ecosystem, provided a water-friendly experience, and enhanced the stability and landscape value of the structure.
Smart Images

Figure CN224395501U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water conservancy technology, specifically a new type of dam revetment. Background Technology
[0002] Traditional dam abutment structures mainly rely on a single slope or a simple stilling basin to dissipate energy from water flow, which has the following technical drawbacks:
[0003] Low energy dissipation efficiency: A single slope does not dissipate the energy of high-speed water flow sufficiently, which can easily lead to downstream riverbed erosion and bank collapse;
[0004] Insufficient structural stability: The tanker's side wings lack a staged energy dissipation design, making them susceptible to localized structural damage from lateral water flow impacts;
[0005] Ecological disruption: The lack of dedicated fish passages obstructs fish migration routes and disrupts the ecological continuity of the water area;
[0006] Functional singularity: focusing solely on water conservancy functions, lacking integration with landscape and water-friendly activities, such as walkways and waterfront steps;
[0007] Especially for flexible dams using rubber dams, the impact force of the discharge is characterized by its instantaneous intensity and variable direction, making traditional aprons more prone to failure due to uneven stress. There is an urgent need for an apron solution that integrates efficient energy dissipation, ecological restoration, landscape integration, and long-term stability.
[0008] Based on this, this utility model designs a new type of dam revetment to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content
[0009] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a new type of dam revetment to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.
[0010] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a novel dam revetment, comprising a dam body, a main revetment slope below the water flow of the dam body, several layers of progressively stacked lateral waterfalls on both sides of the main revetment slope, several layers of progressively stacked intermediate waterfalls in the middle of the main revetment slope, a buffer slope between the intermediate waterfalls and the main river channel below, landscape walkways on both sides of the main revetment slope, a fishway connecting the main revetment slope and one bank, the fishway connecting the water flow upstream of the dam body and downstream of the main revetment slope, and stepping stones at the top of the main revetment slope connecting the landscape walkways on both sides.
[0011] Preferably, a water-friendly staircase connecting the first-level intermediate drop pool is provided at the upper center of the main slope of the retaining wall.
[0012] Preferably, the side waterfall is shaped like dragon scales.
[0013] Preferably, the intermediate waterfall pool is wave-shaped.
[0014] Preferably, the dam body includes a dam base, a rubber dam is provided on the top of the dam base, a water-cutting wall is provided on the left side of the dam base, a reinforcing slope is provided on the right side of the dam base, and the upper part of the main slope of the retaining wall is constructed on the reinforcing slope.
[0015] Preferably, the falling surface of each intermediate waterfall pool is provided with a groove, and landscape lighting strips are installed in the groove.
[0016] Preferably, the buffer slope includes a buffer slope body, on which drainage pipes are evenly arranged vertically, and a filter bag is provided below each group of drainage pipes. A riprap anti-erosion trough is provided on the right side of the buffer slope body, and the riprap anti-erosion trough is filled with stones.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:
[0018] This solution significantly improves the overall performance of tank protectors through innovative tiered cascade pools and multifunctional structural design:
[0019] 1. The side dragon scale-shaped cascade pools (multi-layered) create lateral turbulence, disperse the impact force of the water flow on the flanks, and protect the bank foundation; the central wave-shaped cascade pools (layered downwards) longitudinally break up the main flow, and together with the end buffer slope to dissipate energy, reduce the flow velocity by ≥40%, and fundamentally solve the downstream scouring problem.
[0020] 2. A dedicated fishway connects the upstream and downstream of the dam, ensuring a passage for fish migration and restoring the aquatic ecosystem.
[0021] 3. The double-sided landscaped walkways, stepping stones, and waterfront staircases form a three-dimensional tour network, enhancing the water-friendly experience; the recessed pools are inlaid with landscape lighting strips, creating a dynamic light waterfall effect at night, combining lighting and aesthetic value.
[0022] 4. The main slope is reinforced with slope support and rigidly connected to the right side of the dam abutment to resist the impact of the rubber dam discharge; the combination of buffer slope drainage pipe and reverse filter bag quickly guides seepage to avoid uplift pressure damaging the slope; the rock dump anti-scour trough actively absorbs residual energy to prevent the slope toe from being eroded.
[0023] Of course, any product implementing this utility model does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description
[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;
[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the AA structure of this utility model;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the dam structure of this utility model;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the buffer slope structure of this utility model.
[0029] In the attached diagram, the components represented by each number are as follows:
[0030] 1-Dam body, 11-Dam base, 12-Cutoff wall, 13-Rubber dam, 14-Reinforced slope, 2-Main slope of protective slope, 3-Side drop pool, 4-Intermediate drop pool, 5-Buffer slope, 51-Buffer slope body, 52-Drainage pipe, 53-Filter pack, 54-Rockfill anti-erosion channel, 6-Landscape walkway, 7-Fishway, 8-Stepping stones, 9-Waterfront steps. Detailed Implementation
[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0032] Please see Figure 1-4 This utility model provides a novel dam revetment technical solution: a novel dam revetment includes a dam body 1, a main revetment slope 2 is provided below the water flow of the dam body 1, several layers of side waterfalls 3 are provided on both sides of the main revetment slope 2, several layers of intermediate waterfalls 4 are provided in the middle of the main revetment slope 2, a buffer slope 5 is provided between the intermediate waterfalls 4 and the main river channel below, landscape walkways 6 are provided on both the left and right sides of the main revetment slope 2, a fishway 7 is constructed between the main revetment slope 2 and one bank, the fishway 7 connects the water flow upstream of the dam body 1 and downstream of the main revetment slope 2, and stepping stones 8 are provided on the top of the main revetment slope 2, the stepping stones 8 connect the landscape walkways 6 on both sides.
[0033] Furthermore, a water-friendly staircase 9 is provided at the upper middle part of the main slope 2 of the protective slope, which connects to the intermediate waterfall pool 4 of the first layer.
[0034] Furthermore, the side waterfall 3 is shaped like dragon scales.
[0035] Furthermore, the middle waterfall pool 4 is wave-shaped.
[0036] Furthermore, the dam body 1 includes a dam base 11, a rubber dam 13 is provided on the top of the dam base 11, a water-cutting wall 12 is provided on the left side of the dam base 11, a reinforced slope 14 is provided on the right side of the dam base 11, and the upper part of the main slope 2 of the retaining wall is built on the reinforced slope 14.
[0037] Furthermore, each level of the intermediate waterfall pool 4 has a groove on its cascading surface, and landscape lighting strips are installed inside the groove.
[0038] Furthermore, the buffer slope 5 includes a buffer slope body 51, on which drainage pipes 52 are evenly arranged vertically, and a filter bag 53 is provided below each set of drainage pipes 52. A riprap anti-erosion trough 54 is provided on the right side of the buffer slope body 51, and the riprap anti-erosion trough 54 is filled with stones.
[0039] A specific application of this embodiment is as follows: This utility model is a new type of dam abutment with a graded energy dissipation process. Water flows down through the rubber dam → impacts the main slope of the abutment for initial deceleration → flows into the two dragon-scale-shaped drop pools on both sides (interlayer vortex lateral energy dissipation) and the central wave-shaped drop pool (step-by-step vertical energy dissipation) → flows into the buffer slope: after the water flows through the reverse filter bag to filter sand, it is discharged from the drainage pipe, weakening the seepage pressure; the residual kinetic energy is absorbed by the collision of the boulders in the rock anti-scour trough → flows gently into the main river channel.
[0040] Upstream fish follow the fishway (avoiding the main impact zone) through the protective area to reach the downstream waters. The slope of the channel is ≤10° to ensure the feasibility of upstream migration.
[0041] Visitors arrive at the top of the retaining wall via the scenic walkway, cross the water flow by stepping stones, and enter the first-floor waterfall area near the water along the water-friendly stairs, achieving a safe and immersive viewing experience.
[0042] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0043] The preferred embodiments of this utility model disclosed above are merely illustrative of the present utility model. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the utility model to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of this utility model, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize it. This utility model is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.
Claims
1. A new type of dam apron characterized by: The structure includes a dam body (1), a main slope (2) below the water flow of the dam body (1), several layers of side waterfalls (3) stacked one on each side of the main slope (2), several layers of intermediate waterfalls (4) stacked one on each side of the main slope (2), a buffer slope (5) between the intermediate waterfall (4) and the main river channel below, landscape walkways (6) on both the left and right sides of the main slope (2), a fishway (7) between the main slope (2) and one bank, the fishway (7) connecting the water flow upstream of the dam body (1) and downstream of the main slope (2), stepping stones (8) on the top of the main slope (2), and the stepping stones (8) connecting the landscape walkways (6) on both sides.
2. A new type of dam apron according to claim 1, characterized by: A water-friendly staircase (9) connecting the first-level intermediate drop pool (4) is provided in the upper middle part of the main slope of the retaining wall (2).
3. A new type of dam apron according to claim 1, characterized by: The side waterfall (3) is shaped like dragon scales.
4. A new type of dam apron according to claim 1, characterized by: The intermediate drop pool (4) is wave-shaped.
5. A new type of dam apron according to claim 1, characterized by: The dam body (1) includes a dam base (11), a rubber dam (13) is provided on the top of the dam base (11), a water-cutting wall (12) is provided on the left side of the dam base (11), a reinforced slope (14) is provided on the right side of the dam base (11), and the upper part of the main slope body (2) of the retaining wall is built on the reinforced slope (14).
6. A new type of dam apron according to claim 1, characterized by: Each of the intermediate waterfall pools (4) on each floor has a groove on its falling surface, and a landscape light strip is installed in the groove.
7. A new type of dam apron according to claim 1, characterized by: The buffer slope (5) includes a buffer slope body (51), on which drainage pipes (52) are evenly arranged vertically. Each set of drainage pipes (52) is provided with a filter bag (53) below it. A rock-filled anti-erosion trough (54) is provided on the right side of the buffer slope body (51), and the rock-filled anti-erosion trough (54) is filled with stones.