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Dam Safety Monitoring Demo

Detect Seepage Before It Becomes a Catastrophe

Internal erosion causes 46% of dam failures. This simulation shows how PWI's continuous sensor network detects seepage pathways forming under a dam — months before they reach critical levels — giving operators time to intervene.

Stage: Normal(Baseline)
LOW RISK
NormalWet SeasonSeepage StartsSeepage GrowsPiping DetectedEarly WarningInterventionStabilized

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Reservoir Level

42m

Seepage Intensity

5%

Pore Pressure

10%

Risk Level

LOW

How Early Detection Saves Lives

1

Deploy Sensors

Sensors installed on dam face, foundation, and downstream toe. Baseline readings established within days.

2

Detect Changes

Months before visible signs, sensors detect rising pore pressure and micro-seepage forming under the dam.

3

Alert Operators

Automated alerts when readings cross thresholds. Flow path mapping shows exactly where seepage is developing.

4

Intervene Early

Grouting, drainage, or reservoir lowering stops piping before it progresses. Dam stabilized. Catastrophe prevented.

What You're Seeing

🌊

Seepage Pathways

The colored lines show water finding paths through and under the dam foundation. As seepage intensifies, paths multiply and deepen. This is the mechanism behind internal erosion — the #1 cause of dam failure.

🔴

Pore Pressure Cloud

The colored dots beneath the dam show pore water pressure. Blue is normal. Yellow indicates elevated pressure. Red means the soil skeleton is losing effective stress — the precursor to piping failure.

📡

Sensor Network Response

Watch the sensor diamonds change from green to red as conditions deteriorate. Each sensor independently confirms the pattern. At Stage 6, intervention begins — and you can see the readings recover to safe levels.

The Cost of Waiting

❌ Without Continuous Monitoring

  • • Annual visual inspections miss internal erosion
  • • Piezometers give point data — seepage paths are spatial
  • • Brumadinho: $31.7B in damages, 270 lives lost
  • • Oroville: $1.1B emergency repair, 188,000 evacuated
  • • GISTM now requires continuous monitoring for all tailings dams

✅ PWI Dam Monitoring

  • • 24/7 spatial monitoring of entire dam foundation
  • • Seepage paths mapped in 3D — not just point readings
  • • Early warning months before visible signs appear
  • • GISTM + ICOLD compliance out of the box
  • • 10–100x lower cost than traditional instrumentation

Protect Your Dam Infrastructure

We deploy sensor networks tailored to your dam and deliver continuous safety intelligence from day one.