Smart Monitoring of a Super High Arch Dam during the First Reservoir-Filling Phase

Abstract

The structural behavior during the first reservoir-filling phase is significant for evaluating a super high arch dam’s safety. This paper presents an in situ monitoring network of the Xiluodu Dam in Yunnan, China, including a deformation monitoring system using geodetic and nongeodetic monitoring. The system also includes a refined thermal monitoring system based on a slab-level active cooling system. The thermal–structural decoupling numerical analysis method for a dam–water–foundation system is presented in this study with considerations of viscoelasticity material properties and internal/external thermal loads. The structural behavior of the Xiluodu Dam during the first reservoir-filling phase is analyzed using the smart monitoring system with combination of the in situ monitoring technique and the numerical simulation method. The in situ monitoring result can provide intuitional instructions of the structural behavior, showing a positive correlation between the dam deformation and the reservoir water level. The monitoring results are also used as the verification reference of the numerical model. The distribution characteristics of the displacement and stress of the dam subjected to load cases such as nonimpounding, impounding process, and the normal operating water level are discussed and predicted.