Engineering summary
With at least 1,680 US dams in poor condition, structural health monitoring with seismic, geotechnical and seepage sensors gives owners early warning and post-earthquake assessments.
In short: Proper structural health monitoring gives early damage detection for dams by continuously measuring their behavior and flagging changes in integrity before failure. At least 1,680 US dams are rated poor or unsatisfactory and average over 50 years old. QuakeLogic's cloud-based, AI-powered platform fuses accelerometer data with potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, weather stations, piezometers and seepage weirs, and sends post-earthquake notifications on shaking intensity and structural condition.
When disaster strikes, we are all at risk! The unprepared ones will get hit the hardest. Today, at least 1,680 dams across the U.S. rated in poor or unsatisfactory conditions. These dams pose potential risks according to the Associated Press article. Without urgent action, aging dams (dams in the U.S. are on average over 50 years old) may not be able to adequately handle the intense rainfall and floods of a changing climate or imminent earthquakes. Because the housing developments are often located nearby these dams, they may fail to protect people.
The significance of structural health monitoring (SHM) for dam safety is widely acknowledged. There are a number of unfortunate examples of failed dams where early signs of deficiencies might have been monitored and detected if a proper SHM system had been in place. A robust SHM system can provide timely information that is needed for an understanding of the performance of a dam. The SHM system, including instrumentation and data analytics, can provide dam owners with the knowledge that a dam is performing as expected, and the ability to detect a change in its integrity. This knowledge and ability are critical for the dam owners because they are directly responsible for the consequences of failure. Because of these reasons, a robust safety monitoring system should be a fundamental part of every dam owners risk management progra
QuakeLogic provides the most comprehensive structural health monitoring solution for dams. We are the only company with a cloud-based, AI-powered technology platform performing autonomous structural assessments using sensor data. After an earthquake occurs, our platform sends rapid notifications to our users. These notifications include the level of shaking intensity and whether the structural integrity of the dam is compromised. This system not only monitors earthquakes but also utilizes data from various sensors such as potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, weather stations, piezometers and seepage (weirs & flumes).
QuakeLogic’s intelligent structural health monitoring platform generates meaningful and easy-to-understand information. This timely and critical information helps the dam owners to give informed decisions and plan their responses appropriately.
We provide “peace of mind” to dam owners. To learn about our risk management solutions, please contact us at info@quakelogic.net
Key Takeaways
- At least 1,680 dams across the US are rated in poor or unsatisfactory condition, and US dams average more than 50 years old.
- Several dam failures showed early signs that a proper SHM system could have detected in time.
- QuakeLogic's cloud platform performs autonomous, AI-driven structural assessments from sensor data.
- After an earthquake, owners receive rapid notifications with shaking intensity and whether structural integrity is compromised.
- Monitored inputs include potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, weather stations, piezometers and seepage weirs and flumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
At least 1,680 dams across the United States are rated in poor or unsatisfactory condition according to an Associated Press review cited in the article. US dams are on average more than 50 years old, and many have housing developments nearby, so aging structures may not withstand intense rainfall, floods or earthquakes without monitoring and intervention.
Structural health monitoring detects dam damage early by continuously recording instrumentation such as accelerometers, potentiometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, piezometers, weather stations and seepage weirs or flumes, then analyzing the data for changes from expected performance. This gives owners evidence that the dam is behaving normally and the ability to spot a change in integrity before it becomes a failure.
After an earthquake, QuakeLogic's cloud-based, AI-powered platform sends rapid notifications to users that state the level of shaking intensity at the dam and whether its structural integrity appears compromised. The assessment is generated autonomously from sensor data so owners can make informed decisions and plan their response quickly.
Dam owners are directly responsible for the consequences of failure, so a robust safety monitoring system should be a fundamental part of their risk management program. SHM provides timely information on performance, confirms the dam is operating as expected and detects changes in integrity, which is exactly the information missing in past failures where early deficiencies went unnoticed.
Besides seismic accelerometers, dam monitoring uses potentiometers for displacement, strain gauges for structural strain, thermocouples for temperature, weather stations for environmental context, piezometers for pore water pressure and weirs or flumes for seepage flow. QuakeLogic's platform integrates all of these into one assessment.
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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
- Earthquake EngineeringSeismic hazard, ground motion, structural response, fragility, and resilience guidance.
- 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.
Definitions and references
Terms, standards, and source cues
- seismic hazard: related to Earthquake Engineering in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- ground motion: related to Earthquake Engineering in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- 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.
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