Exploration and practice of whole life cycle quality management in major water conservancy and hydropower projects

TANG Yunqing

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-1123.2025.09.006

Abstract：The quality of major water conservancy and hydropower projects not only affects the safety of project operation and economic benefits,but also affects the safety of people's lives and property.Traditional quality management models primarily focus on the construction phase,lacking effective integration across the entire lifecycle,which including planning and design,construction,operation and maintenance,and decommissioning,resulting in insufficient systematization and continuity.This inadequacy hinders the fulfillment of high-quality development and sustainable utilization requirements in the new era.By reviewing the evolution of quality management systems in water conservancy and hydropower engineering,this study defines whole life cycle quality management tailored to the needs of major projects in the current stage.It further analyzes its connotations and characteristics,explores the challenges,development opportunities,key technologies,and implementation pathways associated with its application.The findings indicate that systematization,continuity,innovation,intelligence,and refinement are key features of whole life cycle quality management.Challenges persist in technical,managerial,and policy aspects;however,opportunities arise from technological advancements,policy support,and societal demands.Four critical technologies underpinning intelligent whole life cycle quality management are identified:Building Information Modeling(BIM),intelligent inspection technologies,big data analytics and predictive modeling,and intelligent management platforms.An implementation pathway is proposed,encompassing the establishment of a whole life cycle quality management framework and the enhancement of policy and standard systems.