September 4-7, 2017, Delft, the Netherlands - 25th Meeting of the European Working Group on Internal Erosion.
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Managing long-term and large-scale datasets from distributed
fiber optic dam/dike monitoring systems
R. Blin & D. Inaudi
SMARTEC SA
Keywords: Fiber Optic, Distributed Sensing, Settlement, Leakage.
Distributed fiber optic strain and temperature sensing provides a powerful tool to monitor dams and dikes integrity. Smartec has been successfully implementing such systems on numerous projects for the last 15 years. Initial challenges have been on fiber optic system design and installation, as distributed sensing monitoring was a new approach complementary to traditional point sensors (piezometers, extensometers). Fiber optic distributed sensing is implemented on new dams and dikes or as part of rehabilitation and safety improvement projects. Once the physical implementation of such monitoring systems became operational, the subsequent challenge became data management and visualization of distributed sensing parameters. A distributed fiber optic system provides a data flow of one measurement every single meter along the entire length of the sensing cable. Primary data analysis based on post-processing of distributed temperature or strain data has limitations and does not provides real-time data management to the operator that often becomes overwhelmed by the amount of data he receives. A software has been developed to allow robust and automatic data management of distributed fiber optic monitoring systems.
The software displays measurement profiles, status maps of temperature or strain, evolution of the structure and events occurred and logged by the monitoring system. All measurements are imported and stored into a single database and data is processed to apply calibrations and select zones of interest. Alarms are generated automatically, based on complex criteria (e.g. for leak detection). Alerts and alarms are visualized on maps and drawings and can be sent by Email or SMS. Robust industrial connectivity features are also available for direct communication with plant controller (SCADA, PLC, DCS); once configured the alerts and alarms are sent via relays or on serial / Ethernet communication via industrial protocols (Modbus, OPC). Further functionalities are management of alarm acknowledge and multiple users, data visualization on a map with color coding, real-time update of data, alarms and visualizations as well as management of multiple monitoring systems on a single database and user interface.
The presentation will review the design and functional principle of the software and includes examples of configuration and data visualization for several dam monitoring projects.
Inaudi D., (2015). Distributed Fiber Optic Sensors for Dams and Levee Deformation Monitoring, Summit on Dams and Levees at the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), New Orleans, USA
Inaudi D., Cottone, I. and Figini, A., (2013). Monitoring dams and levees with distributed fiber optic sensing, The 6th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, Hong Kong.
Inaudi D. and Church J., (2011). Paradigm shifts in monitoring levees and earthen dams: distributed fiber optic monitoring systems, Proceedings, 31st USSD Annual Meeting & Conference, San Diego, California, USA. Glisic B. and Inaudi D., (2007). Fibre Optic Methods for Structural Health Monitoring, John Wiley & Sons Ltd Inaudi D. and Glisic B., (2007). Distributed Fiber Optic Sensors: Novel Tools for the Monitoring of Large
Structures, Geotechnical News, Volume 25, Number 3, p 8-12
