Overview and prospect of dam deformation monitoring technology

Abstract

Deformation monitoring is an important content of dam safety monitoring. This article firstly introduces the origin and development process of dam safety monitoring. Dam deformation monitoring is then reviewed. Artificial dam deformation monitoring technologies including tension line method, alignment method, forward intersection method, traverse method, positive and negative vertical line method, geometric leveling method and hydrostatic leveling method, as well as automatic dam deformation monitoring technologies including measuring robot, photogrammetric technology, global positioning system (GPS), three-dimensional laser scanning technology and fiber optic sensing technology are discussed by comparing their principles, advantages and disadvantages. Main problems of current dam deformation monitoring procedure are summarized. Based on that, the development trends in dam deformation monitoring are finally predicted.