Abstract: The steel-lined reinforced concrete penstock laid on the downstream dam surface is a main layout of water diversion pipes for a hydropower house at dam toe, and its safety and reliability is crucial to safe, normal operation of the project. This paper presents a brief review and analysis of its pros and cons and historical development, and then compares and sums up the theoretical analysis, model test, and numerical calculation, among other methods used for its research and design, based on typical engineering examples in China and abroad and existing application problems. And we summarize recent advancements in the studies of load bearing mechanism and crack characteristics under internal water pressure, temperature loads, and seismic loads, focusing on the calculation methods and control measures of crack openings of the concrete around the penstocks. Finally, we discuss the problems and directions for further studies in the penstock layout of hydropower houses at dam toe and suggest ideas for the design innovation of penstocks.

Key words: steel-lined reinforced concrete penstock laid on downstream dam surface, bearing characteristics, crack, thermal load, seismic load, analytical method, finite element method