Thermal monitoring of leaks and internal erosion for analysis of deep excavation and damming structures

Abstract

Increased seepage processes, including leaks and resulting internal erosion processes, are among the main threats to the safety of dams and levees and to the safety of deep excavations and nearby buildings. These processes can significantly affect the cost of exploitation of damming structures and the costs of construction of underground parts of buildings. One of the basic methods currently used indetecting and analysing these processes is the thermal monitoring method. This method has been used successfully for several decades, particularly in Western Europe and has evolved substantially in the last decade. Currently it is being implemented in pilot applications in Poland. The paper describes the risks and consequences of leaks and internal erosion processes for a damming structure and deep excavation. The authors present the basic issues concerning the method of thermal monitoring based on their professional experience in numerous applications of thermal monitoring methods in both hydraulic engineering and geotechnics. The paper shows examples of thermal monitoring application in the analysis of dams and deep excavations