Survey & investigation |
Technology to pass the test
Geospatial AI is helping dam and hydropower project owners collect and utilize more data on their assets than ever before across vast areas, aiding in dam safety inspections and helping to optimise hydropower operations
MANY OF THE WORLD’S large dams were constructed between 1930 and 1970, giving them a lifespan of anywhere between 50 to 100 years. With this ageing can come accompanying issues, with many dam operators and owners carrying out regular monitoring and inspections of their structures. Our weather is also becoming more extreme each year, with temperature increases and unprecedented rainfall causing flooding and adding pressure to an infrastructure that is already struggling, as Geospational AI platform developer Rezatec pointed out in a recent blog. It gives an example from September 2021, when water company Aqua Pennsylvania suffered a massive failure of an 18-inch- thick floodwall when the aftermath of Hurricane Ida passed through and dumped record levels of rain on the region. Water breached a 22ft-high barrier and inundated the nearby water treatment plant. Fortunately there were no fatalities, but according to reports employees on site barely made it out in time. The incident is not isolated. Across the world, weather incidents caused by our changing climate are creating problems that could have serious consequences. While there is little that a dam owner can do about
Below: Graphic demonstrating Wegaw’s forecasting capabilities of Snow Water Equivalent over a group of fairly low hydrological basins in Valais, Switzerland
extreme weather patterns, there are steps that can be taken to improve the monitoring of dams, prepare for the next dam safety inspection and keep communities safe, said Rezatec. Regular maintenance is going to be crucial in the battle against ageing assets and severe weather. If the answer is greater resiliency, can we get there with better technology?
Resiliency through technology Geospatial AI is helping dam owners collect and utilize
more data on their assets than ever before across
vast areas. This means they can build a more detailed picture of a dam’s condition, supporting them in the preparation of a dam safety inspection. When it comes to mitigating the effects of ageing assets or extreme weather, the technology is providing valuable new insights. These point owners and engineers to the areas that need maintenance most and are enhancing (rather than replacing) traditional data collection methods. Manual inspections ‘on the ground’ can take weeks, sometimes months, to complete, and it’s not always accessible or safe. By using remote solutions like Geospatial AI, this monitoring can be done more frequently, using regularly refreshed data, and all from the comfort of your desk. As an example of this in action, the Rezatec Dam
Monitoring solution incorporates Geospatial AI to give dam operators the power to manage the integrity and safety of their entire asset base at scale. The technology works by tracking unusual changes in ground motion, vegetation (a sign of leakage) and moisture, all of which indicate that a fault or potential failure may occur further down the line. It fuses these multiple data feeds with advanced algorithms and incorporates satellite data to provide retrospective analysis and regular updates which build a unique picture of a dam’s condition over time. This level of new data makes preparing for a dam safety inspection easier. With brand new insights into the condition of dams, you can deploy resources to the right place at the right time, helping maintain your assets efficiently and ensure public safety. Australian state-owned corporation Hunter Water is working alongside partner Detection Services to expand Rezatec’s Dam Monitoring service across Chichester Dam in New South Wales, with the service already in use at the corporation’s Grahamstown Dam. “Using Rezatec’s Dam Monitoring technology aligns perfectly with our strategic objectives to increase digital services and improve the delivery and adoption of technology. Dam Monitoring enables a significant increase in the frequency and accuracy of monitoring for both Chichester Dam and Grahamstown Dam,” commented Daniel Turnbull, Dam Safety Engineer at Hunter Water.
Supplying nearly 35% of Hunter Water’s potable drinking water supply, Chichester Dam is a 44m-high mass gravity concrete dam, curved in plan, with a 262m crest length and a centrally located spillway. At nearly 100 years old, the dam was originally constructed between 1918 and 1926, with the first water supplied in 1923. The dam has been upgraded throughout its life-span, with the most significant works
14 | April 2022 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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