Engineering summary
The 2020 Edenville and Sanford dam failures show what aging, poorly rated dams can do. QuakeLogic's SMART platform turns dam sensor data into continuous AI-driven safety assessment.
In short: The Edenville Dam (built 1924, rated unsatisfactory) collapsed and the Sanford Dam (built 1925, rated fair) was breached in Midland, Michigan on May 19, 2020 after days of heavy rain, forcing evacuations. With at least 1,680 US dams rated poor or unsatisfactory and the average dam over 50 years old, QuakeLogic's SMART platform offers continuous, AI-driven sensor monitoring with threshold alerts and automated reports.
When disaster strikes, we are all at risk! But the unprepared ones get hit the hardest.
The Edenville Dam collapsed and the Sanford Dam was breached in Midland, Michigan on last Tuesday (May 19) after days of heavy rain. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, residents were ordered to evacuate because of rising waters. The collapsed Edenville Dam, built-in 1924, was rated in unsatisfactory condition while the Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, was given a fair condition rating by the state.
Are other dams safe in the US?
On average, the nation’s dams are over 50 years old. At least 1,680 dams across the U.S. are currently rated in poor or unsatisfactory condition. These all pose potential risk according to this Associated Press article. Without urgent action, aging dams may not be able to adequately handle the intense rainfall and floods of a changing climate, as happened in the case of the Michigan dams. They may fail to protect people and property in cities and towns located nearby and downstream.
Introducing SMART DAMS
QUAKELOGIC is the only company using a cloud-based, AI-powered technology platform to perform continuous, autonomous structural assessments using data from sensors on the dam structure.
Deploying the QuakeLogic’s SENSOR DATA MANAGEMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND REPOSITORY TECHNOLOGY (SMART) on dams would significantly reduce needed search and inspection efforts in future events.
The SMART integrates manually and digitally read sensor recordings into a fully-automated unified monitoring system. It facilitates the acquisition and analysis of critical sensor data needed by the dam operators for proper operations and maintenance, and most importantly for the safety assessment of the dam.
The SMART helps to collect, organize, and evaluates sensor data routinely, sends immediate notifications upon exceedance of thresholds, and generate PDF reports regularly and on-demand.
The SMART is a cutting-edge system works with various types of sensors such as accelerometers, tiltmeters, potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, weather stations, piezometers and seepage monitors. Comprehensive analytic information is visible in real-time on the mobile-friendly dashboard, providing proof and peace of mind that a dam is performing as expected.
In addition to SMART, our proprietary earthquake early warning (EEW) alerts provide a window of opportunity for action before earthquake shaking begins at the site. It can also trigger automated actions such as opening spillways, closing roads, etc. when every second counts.
Easy-to-understand, engineering-quality information about the real-time health of the dam supports operators to make informed decisions. Whether planning maintenance activities, or prioritizing critical response actions, QUAKELOGIC has you covered.
“Dams are vital in all communities. As we move toward recovery from COVID-19, it’s important to support the resiliency of dams by realtime monitoring and ensure that the dam owners have the support, tools, and resources to outsmart disasters.”
Key Takeaways
- Edenville Dam (1924, rated unsatisfactory) collapsed and Sanford Dam (1925, rated fair) was breached after days of heavy rain.
- At least 1,680 US dams are rated poor or unsatisfactory; the average American dam is over 50 years old.
- SMART (Sensor Data Management, Assessment and Repository Technology) runs cloud-based, AI-powered continuous structural assessment.
- SMART ingests accelerometers, tiltmeters, potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, weather stations, piezometers and seepage monitors.
- Threshold exceedance triggers immediate notifications; EEW alerts can automatically open spillways or close roads.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Edenville Dam collapsed and the Sanford Dam downstream was breached on May 19, 2020 after days of heavy rain raised reservoir levels beyond what the aging structures could handle. Edenville, built in 1924, had been rated in unsatisfactory condition by the state and Sanford, built in 1925, was rated fair. Residents were ordered to evacuate as waters rose during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to an Associated Press analysis cited in the article, at least 1,680 dams across the United States are rated in poor or unsatisfactory condition, and the nation's dams average more than 50 years old. Without urgent action these aging dams may not handle the intense rainfall and floods of a changing climate, putting downstream communities at risk.
SMART, short for Sensor Data Management, Assessment and Repository Technology, is QuakeLogic's cloud-based, AI-powered platform that performs continuous, autonomous structural assessments from sensors on a dam. It integrates manually and digitally read sensors into one unified system, evaluates data routinely, sends immediate notifications when thresholds are exceeded, generates PDF reports on schedule or on demand, and shows analytics on a mobile-friendly dashboard.
QuakeLogic SMART works with accelerometers for vibration and earthquake response, tiltmeters for rotation, potentiometers for displacement, strain gauges, thermocouples, weather stations, piezometers for pore pressure and seepage monitors. Combining these data streams lets operators verify that the dam is performing as expected, plan maintenance and prioritize response actions after storms or earthquakes.
Yes. QuakeLogic's earthquake early warning alerts provide a window of seconds to tens of seconds before strong shaking reaches the dam site. In that window the system can trigger automated actions such as opening spillways or closing downstream roads, and notify operators, so protective measures begin before the shaking rather than after damage is observed.
Related Articles
Need help with a project? QuakeLogic designs and supplies seismic monitoring, earthquake early warning, structural health monitoring, infrasound, and shake table systems. Browse QuakeLogic products or contact our engineering team with your site, structure, or test requirements.
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Topic cluster
Related engineering knowledge areas
- Structural Health MonitoringMonitoring for bridges, buildings, dams, tunnels, industrial facilities, and resilient infrastructure.
- Earthquake Early WarningOn-site detection, alerting workflows, seismic switches, and critical infrastructure warning systems.
- Seismic SensorsSeismometers, accelerometers, geophones, sensor selection, calibration, and field deployment.
- Infrasound MonitoringLow-frequency acoustic sensing for environmental noise, blast, UAV, volcano, and defense applications.
Definitions and references
Terms, standards, and source cues
- SHM: related to Structural Health Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- damage detection: related to Structural Health Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- earthquake early warning: related to Earthquake Early Warning in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- seismic switch: related to Earthquake Early Warning in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- seismometers: related to Seismic Sensors in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- accelerometers: related to Seismic Sensors in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- infrasound sensors: related to Infrasound Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- low-frequency noise: related to Infrasound Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
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