The Life Line of Dams – Dam Monitoring Systems

Dams, the so called huge structure which store water in mammoth quantities, have to be monitored continuously, because any damage to them could cause flood situations and millions of casualties also. Hence, in order to consistently or rather that continuously monitor these Dams, high end software systems are used which are known as dam monitoring systems. These systems are available from simple systems with a few channels to high end systems that are customized to have over 100 channels also.

Dam Monitoring Systems Features – These systems are high end systems which continuously monitor the dam for any kind of damage or problems. This is done with the use of different kind of sensors fitted which help in remote monitoring and provide almost real time reports about the condition of the dam. In case of any kind of potential hazards, the system sends instant alerts to the technicians and engineers so that they are able to take immediate preventive measures and avoid casualties of any sort by carrying out evacuation activities.

Sensors and More – There are a variety of sensors used for monitoring the dams but these are not the only instruments, even remote visual inspection is carried out besides topographical measuring. The function of these instruments is checking if the behavior of the dam is according to the design predictions and it also involves design assumptions. Hence, if there is any kind of behavior which could damage the dam, then the detection of the same has to be done in time by the monitoring sensors and system.

Role in Dam Construction – The role of dam monitoring systems in construction of the dam is crucial. The design hypotheses has to verified as it might affect the rate of construction of the work. They also play vital role during the most significant phase of construction that is the initial filling of the reservoir. The monitoring methods used for dam monitoring is dependent on the site characteristics and the type of dam also. These characteristics include the height of the dam, the capacity of the spillway, the capacity of the reservoir, flood zone residents damage extent and weakness of the foundation zone.

Process of Monitoring – The Dam monitoring process includes a few important steps like detection of the damaged part of the dam, find out the exact location of the same, evaluation of the type of damage and the severity of it before taking action on the same. The dam monitoring system elements include data acquisition systems, data management, data transfer, storage mechanism, sensors, data interpretation as well as diagnosis. There are different rules and regulations that have to be abided by and in most of the countries strict administrative standards have to be followed.

Benefits of Dam Monitoring Systems – Benefits of the dam monitoring systems include nature and water preservation besides ensuring peoples safety with continuous monitoring round the clock, providing crucial data on reservoir behavior, foundation and body of the dam, reducing the cost of maintenance big time and ensuring safety as well as long life of the dam structure.

Russell Crue provides useful information on geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring.To get more information on geotechnical monitoring visit his Gpuls. Russell Crue Website >>