Dynamics of deformation and seepage in rockfill hydrotechnical facility by visual monitoring data

The article reports the seven years-long visual monitoring data on a test site of a rockfill hydrotechnical facility (RFHF). The evolution of local permeation abnormalities in the body of RFHF is described. No seepage and deformation were observed between January and April in 2013. In May 2013, deformation developed by jumps, continued from May 2013 to April 2014, and ended again as jumped deformation of the dam shoulder in May 2014. Between May 2014 and September 2018, no gradual deformation was observed but two stages of short-term deformation of the dam shoulder were recorded. For another thing, in August 2016, alongside with the short-term deformation, water seepage from the body of the dam to its surface was for the first time revealed. Since August 2016, the inflow of seepage water nonuniformly increased, with periods of intensification and attenuation. Such flow dynamics was accompanied with the dam shoulder deformation. From the evidence of long-term monthly visual monitoring, the time series of the observed events on the test site was composed. The time distribution of the observed events is reflective of their periodicity on the dam shoulder surface, with a clear trend of increase in the seepage water inflow. In this manner, by the data of visual observations, the pattern of deformation and seepage dynamics indicates the presence of local permeation abnormality and its enlargement within the observation period. Furthermore, the obtained data allow a conclusion to be draw that visual inspection can help identify local permeation abnormalities in bodies of hydrotechnical facilities and trace their growth dynamics.

Maksimov D. A. Dynamics of deformation and seepage in rockfill hydrotechnical facility by visual monitoring data. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(10):80-89. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_10_0_80.

D.A. Maksimov, Researcher, e-mail: maximoffda@gmail.com, Mining Institute, Kola Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences, 184209, Apatity, Russia.

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