Delivering real-time dam monitoring for Northumbrian Water Group

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Overview

Northumbrian Water Group provides mains water and sewerage services across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and parts of North Yorkshire.

Dam embankments move in small amounts. Working with Northumbrian Water, Avove undertook an innovative pilot at Burnhope Reservoir in Country Durham, to explore how real-time measurements of dam embankment movements could benefit the water industry.

The Challenge

All dam embankments are built to move by small amounts as the water levels rise and fall throughout the year.  The movements are checked as part of regular inspections carried out in accordance with the Reservoirs Act 1975 or Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011.

Northumbrian Water required us to explore how real-time measuring of dam embankment movement could benefit the water industry and other operators.

The Approach

Through careful design and planning, we were able to provide an effective solution to undertake dam monitoring measurements in real-time.

  • We ensured that monitoring could be taken in real-time, with measurements transmitted via the cloud directly to the client’s control room
  • Our 12-month pilot allowed Northumbrian Water to review movement in real-time, and any remedial actions could be taken to avoid any potential safety issues arising
  • We installed a series of sensors on the dam embankment to transmit triaxial tilt measurements in the structure

Benefits delivered

  • Stepping away from the traditional monitoring approach towards one which is gathering data 24/7 significantly enhanced the understanding of dam movement.
  • Our client was able to use real-time data to make informed decisions about the dam movements and prevent incidents from arising.
  • These assets move all year round, night and day, and working on this pilot has allowed Avove to verify the accuracy and reliability of our hybrid data source.
  • The innovative design of this pilot will allow us to tailor the outputs of this project towards the exact requirements of the UK water sector.

The Solution

Through careful design and planning, we were able to provide an effective solution to undertake measurements in real-time which were transmitted via the cloud directly to the client’s control room.

Northumbrian Water’s Reservoir Safety Manager, Kevin Miller, said:

Dam walls shift to a varying degree, depending on the size and scale of the structure, and it is important to know how much they move to ensure they operate correctly with no safety issues.

The pilot, which ran over the course of one year, showed that this can be done by the minute, and we have access to real-time data which will inform when maintenance is required. Using the sensors, we were able to measure sub-millimetre movements in line with what we expected to see. With the reservoir full, there was a 50mm shift and we saw that return to its original position as levels lowered again. We have no cause for concern over the safety of any of our reservoirs, but this technology is capable of adding a greater level of reassurance in real time. We are considering the potential for other sites as a result of this trial.

Solution 1

We carried out a 12-month pilot consisting of a series of 84 sensors being placed around the dam embankment, transmitting triaxial tilt measurements to a cloud server to establish sub-millimetre movements in the structure

Solution 2

We monitored the movement, which was also verified using open-access satellite data (interferometry) to give reassurance of vertical settlement

Solution 3

With the client, we were able to safely monitor the movement, and in the unlikely event of movement exceeding agreed thresholds, the client could take remedial actions to prevent any issues from arising

Solution 4

We provided access to real-time data which identifies when maintenance is required

Going above and beyond – solving a very specific problem

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