Monitoring of structures and dams have become an essential component of civil engineering as these are vital for site investigation, design verification, long-term soundness and more importantly, for the safety of the project. To understand the structural behaviour pre-construction and during operation, monitoring of dams becomes an important role.
Dam Monitoring Instrumentation is necessary as it provides information about the performance of the dam while also giving an early warning in case of any issue that may arise. The scope of instrumentation is not entirely dependent on the complexity or the size of the reservoir, but also has to do with the possibility of a loss of life and property downstream.
Dam Monitoring Instrumentation includes a variety of sensors offered by Encardio-rite, each serving its purpose like measurement of pore pressure, deformation, movement, etc. With the availability of more futuristic and new-age technology, it is possible to monitor the dam from any remote location, without any hassle.
Encardio-rite offers a number of surveying technologies and data transmission systems that allows you to collect readings and measurements at set intervals. If there is an increase in the predetermined level, you are quickly alerted via an SMS or alarm, allowing you to take preventive action without any accidents. The instruments also allow you to store the data by transferring it to a remote database management system which makes use of a server or cloud to keep the data safe for the required authorities to have a look.
When it comes to Dam Monitoring Instrumentation, it is important to note that every type of Dam (and even every Dam of the same type) have their own personalized set of monitoring requirements, including the type of instrumentation used. This calls for opting for the most efficient instrument from a range that is very focused and optimized.
Now that we have given you a brief introduction about dam monitoring and instrumentation, let’s take an in-depth look into why it is needed?
Dam Monitoring Instrumentation – The need for it.
When it comes to the instrumentation of structures and dams, there are many naturally occurring materials with changing or varied engineering properties. A designer of geotechnical construction works with these ever-changing properties to arrive at the safest and reliable option, observing and evaluating while making design changes.
Post-construction, dam monitoring instrumentation is carried out to assess the soundness, safety, and overall stability of the dam.
Design error, geotechnical stability, maintenance issues, construction material unreliability are some of the reasons why a dam can fail. Therefore, a good instrumentation program includes the following to prevent any kind of mishap:
Measurement during construction:
To confirm and support the hypothesis and assumption of the design.
To keep the surrounding and the main area safe during heavy construction.
To keep an eye on the ever-changing parameters during construction.
To assure the safety of adjacent structures and foundation during construction.
To guarantee the performance of the new construction.
Measurement after construction is completed
Monitoring the performance to gauge the safety during the life of the structure.
Measuring the effect of reservoir application on parameters like stress, strain, water pressure, inclination, deflection and water seepage.
Comparing the design assumptions with observed data.
Monitoring of reservoir level and water discharge.
Measurement for research
Determination & Measurement of design parameters.
Examining and testing new construction materials and methods.
Studying and observing the behaviour of soil, rock, and other man-made materials that are to be used in the construction.
The purpose of Dam Monitoring Instrumentation
Safe operation and functioning of a dam entail economic benefit and public safety. Dam failure can cause catastrophic damage to life and property. A good instrumentation program makes use of the data to evaluate the safety of the structure by collecting data and detecting any issues at a preventable stage.
The purpose includes:
Site investigation
Performance monitoring
Construction control
Design verification
Safety
Legal protection
Dam Monitoring – The Solutions
As leaders in the geotechnical field, Encardio-rite offers reliable, cost-effective, and comprehensive solutions for the monitoring of different types of dams. From supply, installation and maintenance to seamless data collection and remote monitoring, it provides the complete spectrum of services.
Here are the solutions/sensors that are offered by Encardio-rite for online monitoring:
Different types of geotechnical sensors that are required for the accurate measurement of various parameters of the dam.
Data Loggers with GSM/GPRS technology for automatic monitoring of geotechnical sensors.
LoRa Nodes and Gateway offered for automatic monitoring.
Automatic Total Stations (ATS) are used for Geodetic Monitoring.
Laser Scanning
Surveys conducted with the help of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle)
Web Data Management Services with a public cloud that alerts the authorised users and provides the data online.
Dam Monitoring Instrumentation
As we have spoken before, each dam is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution that can be applied to all. It depends on the size, potential hazard, complexity, foundation and many more aspects of the dam which are known as problems and concerns and the degree of conservatism in the design criteria. Since Encardio-rite has been involved with the instrumentation of over 200 dams, it has made a generalized guide for different types of ...[Continue reading]
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