Dam Safety Monitoring Solution

SOUTH Deformation monitoring team was founded in 2007, with more than 10 years development,
monitoring team now have 200+ people, more than 600 project experiences.
Significance of Dam Monitoring system construction
In order to optimize the allocation of water resources and ensure the safe
operation of reservoir dams, it is necessary to build an automatic safety
monitoring and early warning system for reservoir dam. The expected
objectives of the system include: understanding the deformation
behavior of the reservoir dam, the safety during the construction period
and the safe operation after completion, better serving the safety
production and giving full play to its economic benefits. After the system
is completed, the following functions will be realized:
(1) Monitor the performance changes during dam construction and
operation, timely feed back early warning and provide data when
structural abnormalities occur, so as to analyze the abnormal site,
guide the dam management department to take measures to prevent
accidents and ensure the safe operation of the reservoir dam.
(2) The system analyzes the monitoring data at any time and provides
data to the management party for dam safety construction and
operation technology appraisal, and summarizes the operation
experience. It can provide data basis for improving dam construction,
operation mode, safety plan and project quality evaluation.
(3) Regularly compile the observation data and provide data for the
construction of subsequent similar projects or the design,
construction, management and scientific research of other similar
buildings.
Schematic diagram of earth-rock dam monitoring project

Upriver rainfall
monitoring
Upriver rainfall
Field video monitoring Dry beach monitoring
Length of dry breach
Vibrating Wire Piezometer High frequency radar Throw in type water
Sediment delivery content gauge level
Stationary Inclinometer GNSS/prism pipe
Weather station

Dam height Reservoir

Total station Seepage line

Fill dam

Return water and sewage Draining well

treatment station Dam foundation seepage monitoring

Video GNSS Stationary Throw in type Weather station High frequency radar
Total station and prism Vibrating Wire
monitoring Surface Inclinometer water level Upriver rainfall content gauge
Settlement and surface Piezometer
displacement Displacement of Reservoir water level monitoring length of dry breach
monitoring monitoring depth soil mass monitoring
 Monitoring Items

The dam monitoring content is divided into the following aspects:

The main monitoring contents of dam monitoring include dam external deformation, seepage monitoring, dam
internal monitoring, water level hydraulic monitoring and environmental factors monitoring. Generally speaking, dam
surface deformation and seepage monitoring are the most important monitoring items.
A: External deformation monitoring : The main contents of external deformation monitoring include surface
deformation, internal deformation, dam foundation deformation, crack joint change, concrete panel sliding
Displacement of bank slope near the dam, etc.
B: Seepage monitoring: Seepage monitoring refers to the monitoring of seepage field generated under the action of
upstream and downstream water level difference, mainly including seepage pressure, seepage flow and water quality
change. Generally, for earth rock dams, it mainly includes dam foundation seepage, dam abutment seepage, dam
body seepage, erosion seepage, etc. seepage monitoring mainly includes monitoring sections (dam foundation, dam
body Determination of seepage pressure distribution and phreatic line position on structural sections such as seepage
around dam on both banks.
C: Internal monitoring of dam body: Internal monitoring is generally not monitored separately, but synchronized with
external deformation monitoring.
D: Water level hydraulic monitoring: As an important part of hydraulic engineering hub, reservoir dam water level
hydraulic monitoring is particularly important. The main items of hydraulic water level monitoring include static water
level monitoring , dynamic water pressure monitoring, water flow velocity, flow monitoring, etc.
 Monitoring Items
E: Environmental factors monitoring : mainly includes rainfall , air temperature, reservoir water temperature,
sedimentation , etc. By monitoring the environmental factors , we can further grasp the variation law of
environmental quantity and the correlation of its influence on dam deformation, seepage and stress. Generally, the
environmental factors mainly monitors rainfall and temperature.
Different dam monitoring projects the monitoring items are different, but generally the same. The main monitoring
items are as follows:

Monitoring Items Monitoring Equipment Monitoring Items Monitoring Equipment

GNSS Internal deformation of DAM Stationary inclinometer

Surface deformation and displacement
Total station with prism Water level of dam Radar water level

Meteorological Weather station Dam incline Tilt sensor

Water level Uplift pressure Uplift gauge

Seepage
Vibrating Wire Piezometer Crack Crack meter
Soil pressure of dam Soil Pressure Meter
Vibrating wire type stress gauge，
Reinforced concrete stress Unmanned Surface
Thermometer Underwater topography
vessel(optional)
Video Monitoring System
Overall change of dam
BIM modeling（Optional）
 The frame of Dam safety monitoring system

Alert
Data processing 3G 4G NB-Iot LoRa Application
Analyses of Change

Report Generation
Control Suggestion
3G 4G NB-Iot LoRa

Data DTU
transmission 4G 3G
Multi-channel
Vibration wire
signal collector

RS485

Data collection

Robotic total GNSS Stationary Vibrating Soil Pressure Vibrating wire type
monitoring Video Integrated Tilt senor wire
station Inclinometer Meter(vibrating crack gauge
stations Monitoring weather station piezometer wire type)
 Workflow

Manual Survey SMS E-mail APP

Monitoring Data Application Disaster

Transmission
control
Automatic monitoring Sound and light alarm

Semi-Automatic monitoring Web

Application Field Monitoring items Access

GNSS Robotic
 Geological Disaster Total station
Electric level Rain of environment
 Bridge health  Monitoring Units
 Foundation Pit  Construction Organization
 Dam safety  Natural resource Dept.
 Tailing Pond  Regulators
 Highway Slope  Electrical power Inclinometer Stress and strain Crack Vibration
 Tunnel
 Dam external deformation monitoring

The deformation of dam surface and the displacement of bank slope near the dam are generally monitored by
robotic total station or GNSS receiver. It is necessary to establish a deformation monitoring control network in the
dam area to provide reference points for the robotic total station and GNSS receiver before the surface deformation
monitoring activities. The control network can be an independent coordinate system or conjunction measurement
with the existing geodetic control points. The control network must maintain regular retest (generally at least once
every half a year) and correct the monitoring data distortion caused by the control network in time.

Survey principle of Total Station:

The principle of automatic monitoring of dam slope surface displacement by robotic total station is to set up prism at
the dam slope surface monitoring point, select bedrock or build stable pillar outside the dam slope, fixed the total
station, and select at least 3 stable control points outside the slope to form a control network. The robotic total
collects and rear intersection observes at the control points through the automatic collection software, calculates
the its coordinate value of observation station（total station）, and measures the monitoring points in a certain
order. Through the pre-setting of the software, the total station can collect the coordinates of the monitoring points
in the set cycle and collection sequence (before collecting the coordinates of the monitoring points each time, the
coordinates of the control points shall be collected to ensure the accuracy of the coordinates of the measuring
station itself). By comparing the previous coordinate value of each monitoring point, can calculate displacement
status of monitoring point on the surface of dam slope to complete the automatic monitoring.
Dam external deformation monitoring
Total station Principle of dam surface deformation monitoring by robotic total station
 Dam external deformation monitoring

Advantage of Robotic Total Station: Monitoring point（prism）

Observation station

The robotic total station is an optical surveying and

mapping instrument. The equipment only needs to
maintain intervisibility with each monitoring point.
The cost of increasing the monitoring point is only
the price of prism or prism observation pillar.
Therefore, in the case of small scope and large
number of monitoring points, the robotic total
Observation station
station is a more economical way of surface
monitoring. In addition, because only the robotic
total station itself needs maintenance, the long-
term operation cost is low. The robotic total station
Observation pillar
can run 24-hour continuous monitoring. Generally
speaking, when the monitoring points are less than
100, the measurement period shall not exceed 1
hour, so it can obtain higher frequency data.

Special observation house

Dam external deformation monitoring
GNSS Satellite Satellite Survey principle of GNSS：

Principle of GNSS surface displacement monitoring: two

GNSS stations A and B have observed the same group of
satellites (at least 4 satellites) in the same period. If point A
is a known point (with accurate coordinates), calculate the
distance correction data from point A to the satellites and
broadcast the correction data to B in real time, then point
bedrock
GNSS B receives the correction data from base A while
observing GNSS, The positioning result of GNSS station B is
corrected to obtain more accurate coordinate value.
Or the reference station and monitoring station send the
observation data in each fixed period to the control center,
and then the monitoring system calculates the coordinates
of each monitoring station in each period, saves the three-
dimensional coordinates of each monitoring point to the
database, compares them with the basic coordinate data of
each monitoring point, and the data analysis software
automatically analyzes the change amount and trend of
each monitoring point, and the stability of the dam is
analyzed in combination with other monitoring equipment.

The principle of dam surface deformation monitoring by GNSS

 Dam external deformation monitoring

Advantage of GNSS:

Compared with the traditional optical measurement, GNSS

has the ability to operate under all-weather conditions.
Without being affected by bad weather. Without intervisibility
condition between monitoring points, just through the sky.
Therefore, it can be used in the environment with complex
geological and meteorological condition. The integrated GNSS
monitoring equipment has the advantages of high precision,
low power consumption, high cost performance and more
convenient installation. Therefore, GNSS can be used for
surface displacement monitoring in the case of large dam
monitoring range, complex dam structure and small number
of monitoring points.

GNSS monitoring stations

 Dam external deformation monitoring

Dam surface inclination and crack monitoring

Under the action of internal and external forces for a long time, some main structures of earth rock dam and
concrete dam will incline or crack to a certain extent. At this time, it is necessary to use the tilt sensor and crack
gauge to monitor the inclination and crack.

Tilt sensor
Crack gauge
 Dam external deformation monitoring

Overall change monitoring of dam body

The performance characteristics of video monitoring
alarm: real-time display monitoring image, single
channel adjustment function of video image quality,
separate setting of video speed of each channel,
rapid retrieval, setting function of multiple video
modes, automatic backup, pan-tilt control function,
network transmission, etc. At present, in market
some video monitoring image algorithm can even
monitor the surface changes of the monitored object
to a certain extent. Therefore, in dam monitoring,
video monitoring can also be used as an auxiliary
measure for surface change monitoring, which
complements GNSS and total station in macro and
micro aspects.
  Seepage monitoring

Seepage often occurs in the dam body and dam foundation due to action of upstream and downstream water level,
after the impoundment of reservoir it becomes more obvious, which has an important impact on the stability of dam.
Due to the limitations of designers' understanding of objective laws, seepage calculation and anti-seepage measures
considered are often not perfect. Abnormal seepage phenomena beyond the design are often found in practical
engineering cases. The accidents caused by seepage account for about 40% of all dam accidents. Therefore, seepage
monitoring is the core activity of dam safety monitoring.
 Seepage monitoring

The schematic diagram of installing vibrating wire piezometer

  Dam Internal monitoring

In the long-term operation stage of the dam, due to the influence of storage capacity pressure, its own structural
pressure, rainfall, vibration and other factors, slow and continuous internal structural changes will occur, resulting in
the deformation of the internal foundation of the dam. This deformation is the root cause of the external
deformation, so it is necessary to monitor the inclination inside the dam, It plays an extremely important role in
reflecting the foundation stability of the dam and predicting the occurrence of disasters in the later stage.
Generally, stationary inclinometers or flexible inclinometers are used to monitor the displacement of the internal
structure of the dam.

Stationary inclinometer
 Dam Internal monitoring

Soil pressure monitoring of earth rock dam

Contact earth pressure monitoring refers to the monitoring of earth pressure on the contact surface between
concrete, rock and soil. The purpose of contact earth pressure monitoring is to understand the magnitude,
distribution and change of earth pressure borne by rigid buildings, analyze whether the buildings are safe, verify the
design and provide basis for maintenance and repair. For earth rock dams, the pressure in the earth is generally
monitored. Vibrating wire Soil Pressure Meter is generally used for earth pressure monitoring.

Vibrating wire Soil Pressure Meter

 Dam Internal monitoring
Concrete stress and strain monitoring

The concrete will produce strain under the influence of pressure, temperature and other factors, which belongs to
micro changes. However, the concrete strain of the overall dam structure will lead to cracks on the concrete surface
of the dam body and even internal cracks, which will seriously affect the stability of the dam structure. Embedded
concrete strain gauges are generally used to monitor the stress and strain of concrete. For concrete panel
monitoring, two groups are generally installed, one along the dam slope and the other in the horizontal direction.
For internal stress and strain, strain gauge group can be used for monitoring. For the dam structure just completed,
it is generally necessary to install concrete stress-free barrels simultaneously to eliminate the impact of its own
concrete strain on the monitoring results.

Vibrating wire strain gauge Strain gauge group

 Dam Internal monitoring

Stress strain monitoring of Reinforcement and anchor rod

The reinforcement meter is generally embedded in the dam structure or other concrete structures for a long time to
measure the reinforcement stress of the internal structure of the dam structure. The reinforcement meter can
synchronously monitor the temperature of the embedding point. For dam monitoring, anchor dynamometer,
bedrock stress meter and other equipment can be formed by adding different accessories.

Vibrating wire Reinforcement meter The connection mode between Reinforcement meter and measured reinforcement
 Dam Internal monitoring

Schematic diagram of embedding reinforcement meter and anchor bolt stress meter
 Water level hydraulic monitoring

As an important part of water conservancy facilities, the monitoring of

reservoir capacity, water level, flow velocity and discharge in the dam
area is very important for flood control, disaster reduction and
hydropower generation in this area. Therefore, an all-weather water level
monitoring system should be established in the dam area. It mainly
includes: upstream and downstream water level monitoring of the dam;
Dam velocity monitoring, etc. Water weir gauge, radar water level gauge
and other equipment can be used for water level monitoring, and Radar Water level
ultrasonic flowmeter can be used for flow rate monitoring.
Radar water level gauge, also known as water level radar, is an electronic
device that uses electromagnetic wave to detect targets. Generally, it
includes transmitter, transmitting antenna, receiver, receiving antenna
and other components. Its main function is to carry out water
conservancy monitoring, sewage treatment and flood control early
warning. The main measurement principle is that the radar pulse is
transmitted from the radar water level sensing antenna, the antenna
receives the pulse reflected from the water surface and records the time
T. since the propagation speed c of electromagnetic wave is a constant,
the distance d to the water surface is obtained
 Environmental factors monitoring
Environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature will also affect the stability of the dam structure under
certain circumstances, especially when the water level rises sharply due to rainstorm in summer, it will have a very
obvious impact on the storage capacity, water pressure and water level inside the dam. Multi parameter
meteorological station is generally used for environmental monitoring.

Integrated 6-parameter meteorological station Installation example of Meteorological Station

 Related Equipment

Vibrating wire crack gauge Hydrostatic Level ADM

Multi-channel Vibrating
DTU wire signal acquisition
Automatic deformation monitoring solution
South deformation monitoring system is a fully automatic
monitoring system based on advanced IOT technology,
which is compatible with conventional monitoring solutions.
It can achieve real-time and effective dynamic analysis and
safety early alert of the monitoring target by various means,
improve the accuracy and credibility of the monitoring data Road Slope Monitoring Geological Disaster monitoring
while reducing the workload of personal.
Solved pain points that man-made more factors in
conventional monitoring and automatic monitoring.
Using sensors to monitor the targets (include geologic
disasters, highway & railway slope, foundation pit, dam
safety, trailing pond, bridges health, tunnel…etc.) for all-
Dam Monitoring Tailings pond Monitoring
weather automatic real-time monitoring. Transmit all status
and data of monitoring targets to the data processing center
in real time by various wired or wireless network
technology. To complete analysis, judgment, alert. Terminal
devices can passively receive the alert information，also
can actively log in the platform to acquire various status
and data of monitoring targets, which is the basis for Foundation Pit Monitoring Bridge health Monitoring
decision-making.
GNSS Monitoring station

Integrated Design High Accuracy Low-power Consumption Remote Control

Anti-Steal Design Multiple Communication Cloud Service IP68

General applicability monitoring GNSS

Optimization Algorithm
Monitoring Accuracy 1mm/ 24 hours in short baseline
SOUTH Model: MR1

● Stable and high accuracy GNSS monitoring engine ● Real-time and history data and graphic view, report
and dual independent GNSS process algorithms data export
GNSS Monitoring station

GNSS monitoring station MR1

MR1 is a special purpose model for deformation monitoring.
As the general applicability equipment, MR1 is widely applied
to monitor for the displacement of earth surface. Usually,
MR1 base station is built on a stable bedrock which near by
monitoring stations, monitoring stations are built on the risk
slopes.
With stable and high accuracy GNSS monitoring engine and
dual independent GNSS process algorithms, it can
automatically and continuously monitor the slopes status for
every second, the precision coordinate values can be
calculated according to your interval settings. Install on disaster site
GNSS Monitoring station
MR1 NET S10 mini
NET S10

 Multi-frequency and Multi

 Multi-frequency and Multi constellations
constellations GNSS board  Multi-frequency and Multi
GNSS board
 Integrated Design easy to install constellations GNSS board
 Support high speed network
 Low-power Consumption  3G/4G network unit
 Bluetooth WIFI
 3G/4G network unit  Bluetooth/ WIFI
 Support 5 independent data streams
 Internal battery  Support multiple data format
transmission
 Bluetooth, WIFI  Internal battery
 Low-power Consumption
 WebUI  LCD screen
 Internal radio (option)
 Remote control  Support connection weather
 Remote control
 magnesium aluminum alloy housing station and tilt sensor
 magnesium aluminum alloy housing
 IP68  Built in 13000mAH battery
 IP68
 IP68

Installation

Install on observation pillar Install on stand column

SMOS Different Modules

Select the appropriate modules according

to the project type (foundation pit, highway
slope, bridge, tunnel and other
constructions), also can administrate the
multiple projects in the mega projects
Software South monitoring system (SMOS)
SMOS software includes different functional modules to meet the user’s demand, geological disaster,
highway & railway slope, foundation pit, dam, trailing pond, bridge health, tunnel…etc.

 Software interface

Multi-user
management

Powerful Data
analysis and
chart show
Software South monitoring system (SMOS)

 Software interface

Smart alert model

User define
report export