Abstract
The use of sensors and optical fibers for monitoring structures is continuously growing. Strains, displacements, accelerations, temperatures are just a few of the monitoring possibilities. In the case of dam structures, concrete face rockfill dams constitute a type of structures where the monitoring of water infiltrations is of particular interest. In large structures of this type, opening of slab joints is a common effect of general strain distributions, but crack formation may also occur as a result of high compressive stresses, during and after the reservoir filling stage. In this context, this paper verifies, experimentally, the applicability and the response of a distributed fiber optic monitoring system in the identification of infiltration spots and its potential sizes. The experimental tests confirm the technical feasibility of detecting infiltrations, but did not show clear evidence of their sizes.
Highlights
The general concern about safety of constructions has motivated researchers to make use of sensing technologies, such as optical fibers, for monitoring the health of structures.Monitoring a structure involves measuring, evaluating and registry of data that describes structural behavior
In order to avoid degradation that could lead to the collapse of a structure, it is important to monitor it, checking if the conditions of actual loading are in conformity with those provided by the project (Fazan 2010).The lifespan on a
The operation costs of a monitoring system of structural health to the lifespan of the structure is lower than 1% of the structure expenses (Thomson 2013)
Summary
The general concern about safety of constructions has motivated researchers to make use of sensing technologies, such as optical fibers, for monitoring the health of structures.Monitoring a structure involves measuring, evaluating and registry of data that describes structural behavior. The general concern about safety of constructions has motivated researchers to make use of sensing technologies, such as optical fibers, for monitoring the health of structures. In order to avoid degradation that could lead to the collapse of a structure, it is important to monitor it, checking if the conditions of actual loading are in conformity with those provided by the project (Fazan 2010).The lifespan on a given structure can be extended through tests and monitoring that ensure its capability and safety. The larger the structure or its importance, the greater the concern with its stability, behavior and security. Ranks in this category the dams, in particular, the concrete face rockfill dams. A concrete face rockfill dam is constituted by a main body, composed by rock blocks juxtaposed in compacted layers and a sealing slab at the upstream face (Figure 1)
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