Quantitative Evaluation of Leak Index from Electrical Resistivity and Induced Polarization Surveys in Embankment Dams

초록

There are 17,000 reservoir dams in Korea, of which more than 85% were built over 50 years ago. Old embankment dams are weakened by internal erosion and suffusion phenomena due to preferential leakage paths and this ongoing weakening can cause their failure. Therefore, early warning associated with leakage in an embankment dam is crucial to prevent its failure. An electrical resistivity survey is a non-destructive, real-time and in-situ technique for detecting the development of leakage zones and general conditions of embankment dams. Because of its advantages, the electrical resistivity survey is widely used for reservoir safety inspections. However, the electrical resistivity survey is still not officially included in the precise safety inspection of reservoir dams because it cannot present a quantitative index of dam safety. In this study, we propose a method for calculating the leak index according to the water content evaluated from the electrical resistivity survey and/or induced polarization survey. Particularly, by proposing a quantitative leak index calculation method from monitoring surveys and independent surveys, we provide a theoretical basis for including electrical resistivity and induced polarization surveys as components of the precise safety inspection of reservoirs dams.

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