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Design of floating UHPC structure for the substation of a 5 MW floating PV plant in Alqueva (Portugal)

RDC has designed the floating structure to host the substation of a 5 MW floating PV plant located in Alqueva (Portugal). This dam is the largest in the EU, and the installation is the largest in a EU dam.

The floating structure has a total dimension of 12.23 m x 6.5 m and a depth of 1.29 m. It is formed by 5 precast elements with similar plant dimensions, all of them connected in the long-length with two steel beams, one per each side. The substation has dimensions of 7 x 2.5 m and is located in the centre, distributing its weight on the three central floaters.

UHPC was selected as the most adequate material for this application to maximize its reliability. The substation is a key point in this type of plants, so having a material with high impact capacity and fire-resistant is a significant advantage. Besides, its high bonding capacity facilitates an efficient connection of the two lateral steel beams with the UHPC elements, creating a monolithic structure with simple and limited bolts. The minimum thickness of the walls limits the weight of the element (49 t) to minimize its draft, so that the drag forces caused by the waves and currents are not significant.

Floating structure PV plant UHPC by RDC

More Projects with UHPC

Consulting

RDC works closely with the client to evaluate the technical, economical and environmental viability of replacing its current solution by UHPC. A tailored premix of Formex® is proposed to maximize the competitiveness of the new element.

 

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UHPC Applications

Applications

RDC helps the client to make real the use of UHPC in the daily industrial production. The team supports in stages as the scale-up of the production, the resolution of bottlenecks and the implementation of the quality control plan.

 

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The UHPC

UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) is an extremely compact and ductile cementitious composite. Its properties make it perfect for applications where durability or maintenance play a significant role, where a lightweight structure is particularly relevant, or where the slenderness or thickness of piece is is important.


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Do you think that UHPC can add value to your business? Share your thoughts with us. We can help you

If you feel that this innovative material can help you to solve a problem that you have, to improve the quality of your product, reduce the maintenance required, minimize the transportation costs, or any other, write us. We will share with you our point of view.