Time-Lapse Seismic Tomography and Electrical Resistivity Mapping of a Small Embankment Dam with Possible Zones of Weakness

Earthen dam or levee failure can occur with little to no warning. Internal problems such as seepage and piping are among the major causes of failure in earthen embankment dams and levees. Identifying and mitigating these problems requires a cost effective and non-invasive method of investigating these critical structures. This study focuses on the early detection of internal problems such as seepage and piping using time lapse seismic refraction tomography (SRT) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). For this study, two quarter scale model dams were built at the USDA-ARS Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit in Stillwater, OK. These dams were constructed with two internal compromised zones that would be susceptible to seepage and piping. The zones consist of a sandy region and a region compacted at lower moisture content. Time lapse seismic refraction and electrical resistivity measurements were conducted over a course of two years to monitor changes in the internal structure of the model dams due to seasonal changes, cyclic loadings and internal erosion failure. The results will provide an insight on how compromised zones due to seepage and piping can be identified at an early stage using both SRT and ERT time-lapse measurements and how joint interpretation of these two methods helps in closely identifying what attributed to the compromised zone. [This research was funded by the department of Homeland Security- sponsored Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI) at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.]