Concrete dam deformation analysis

Issue

Rapid detection, mapping and characterization of the deformational behaviour of a concrete dam during filling and emptying of a water impoundment.

Solution

Two TInSAR (Terrestrial SAR Interferometry) permanent monitoring platforms were realized in front of the downstream wall of the dam on removable concrete basements, thus restoring the original conditions of the site at the end of the activities. SAR images were continuously collected 24/7 for three days by every monitoring platform in two surveys, thus allowing analysis in different climatic conditions and from different points of view.

Achievement

Cyclic displacements, alternating movements away and toward the sensor, of the dam were detected on the whole downstream wall of the dam. Such displacements, whose entities ranged from -1mm to 1mm were attributed to the deformation of the dam as result of the exploitation of the water reservoir.