Author/Authors :
I. ESCUDER Universidad Politecnica de Valencia - Dpto. de Ingenieria Hidraulica y Medio Ambiente Camino de Vera - Valencia (SPAIN) , J. L. LORENZO Hydraulics Director at OFITECO SA , J. FLEITZ General Director at OFITECO SA , M. G. de MEMBRILLERA Researcher at Universidad Politecnica de Valencia
كليدواژه :
Assessment , Modeling , Instrumentation , Uncertainties , Behavior
چكيده لاتين :
Records obtained from dam instrumentation are crucial in order to interpret the structure behavior and
be able to assess its safety. However, due to the uncertainties involved in the process of installing such
instruments, the way readings are collected, the nature of the instruments and their conservation state,
measurements can be under suspect. In fact, measurements can be misunderstood, can lead to make
the wrong decisions and even can make dam engineers to develop some degree of skepticism about
their importance. In this context, the study of data series by means of statistical models and the
implementation of conceptual models may provide results and sensibility analysis that can be very
valuable, together with instrumentation records, to get a better understanding of the dam behavior.
However, numerical modeling can be a helping tool but also adds some additional uncertainties
if they are not carefully and rigorously used: construction data should be examined, constitutive
models properly chosen, etc. Also, a statistical analysis can be highly misleading if it is not properly
used. In summary, combination of a good knowledge of the instruments, an appropriate conservation
and reading procedure, a realistic data management program and the implementation of numerical
models are very important tasks that have to be carefully undertaken due to all the involved
uncertainties. But also, the behavior itself of a dam, is a source (some times the main one) of
uncertainties.
Right know, after eight years of a new dam safety legislation in Spain that has promoted lots of
instrumentation projects and analysis of dam behaviors, lots of lessons have been learnt. Examples are
shown to support the ideas of the article. Finally, as a more recent and very interesting approach, the
failure mode analysis undertaken in the context of risk analysis and risk assessment, might allow the
dam engineers to focus on what really maters about instrumentation and measurements and decide
about the need of new instruments at their site.
