ComIré BRASILEIRO De BARRAGENS XXXII SEMINARIO NACIONAL DE GRANDES BARRAGENS: SALVADOR ~ BA, 20 A 23 DE Malo DE 2019 RESERVADO AO OBDB MONITORING OF GEOMEMBRANE SYSTEMS WITH OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES Alberto SCUERO Managing Director — Carpi Group Gabriella VASCHETTI Scientific Department Chair - Carpi Tech RESUMO- Assim como as barragens, os sistemas de impermeabilizagao por geomembrana (SIGs) devem ser monitorados para controlar se seu desempenho esta alinhado com 08 critérios de projeto. O monitoramento é realizado pela medi¢éo da agua de drenagem, e implementado pela medig&o da altura da agua em pé atras da geomembrana. A partir de 2000, um sistema que permite detectar a presenca de gua por tras da geomembrana e localizar a area de um possivel dano vem sendo usado para refinar o monitoramento. O sistema é baseado na tecnologia de cabos de fibra Optica, que € amplamente utilizada para medig&o de temperaturas em barragens de terra e em concreto-massa. O artigo descreve como a tecnologia foi adaptada para monitorar SIGs, apresentando alguns exemplos. ABSTRACT Like dams, geomembrane sealing systems (GSSs) must be monitored to control that their performance is in line with the initial design conditions. Monitoring can be cattied out by measuring the drainage water and implemented by measurement of the water standing behind the geomembrane system. Starting in 2000, a system allowing detecting the presence of water behind the geomembrane liner and locating the area of a possible damage in the liner has been used to refine monitoring. The system is based on the Optical Fibre Cable technology that is widely used for measurement of temperatures in mass concrete and in embankments. The paper describes how the technology has been adapted to monitor @SSs, presenting a few case histories. 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 11. BACKGROUND Geomembrane Sealing Systems (@SSs), with more than half a century experience, are a well-established technology for providing a water barrier to all types of dams. Like it is standard practice in dams, also GSSs must be monitored along their service life, to control that their performance keeps being in line with the initial design conditions and the anticipated results. The state-of-the-art for a GSS, in dams’ rehabilitation as well as in most of new construction projects where the geomembrane is included in the design of the dam, foresees a dedicated drainage system behind the flexible polymeric waterproofing liner. The drainage system is designed to collect at the upstream face any water present behind the waterproofing liner, be it water saturating the dam or water infitrating from accidental damage to the liner or water from other sources, and to discharge it in the gallery or downstream. The purposes of the face drainage system are to avoid water infiltrating the dam body and to avoid backpressure acting on the liner in case of dewatering: if the flow discharging from the drainage system is within its capacity, whatever water seeping through the geomembrane or by passing its boundaries, is collected and discharged and there is no infiltration through the dam body. At the same time, the drainage system is a first means of controlling the correct performance of the GSS, by measuring the quantity of drained water exiting at the discharge points. To improve the accuracy of monitoring, when possible the drainage system is divided into smaller areas, each having a dedicated discharge point (independent compartments). When the discharge outflow exceeds what has been established to be within the “normal” operational range, further investigation should be called for to assess the origin of the anomaly. Investigation is necessary because it must be stressed that a high drainage discharge does not necessarily mean that the GSS is not performing well. As stated by ICOLD Bulletin 185 [1] “...an abnormal rate of leakage would suggest a defect in the geomembrane, while in reality the drainage system is mainly collecting water which may come from different sources other than a defect through the geomembrane. For instance water infiltrating through fissures and bypassing the perimeter seal, or infiltrating from foundations, or from crest. Thus it is possible that the amount of water at the discharge point is high, while the dam body is totally dry.... The fact that any leakage is intercepted by the face drainage system and is discharged before it applies pressure to the upstream face and infiltrates the dam is a fundamental principle in all drained geomembrane systems and should be recognized as a positive feature and not a deficiency. Bulletin 185 recommends that the measurement of drained water is associated with other measurements such as the readings of one or more piezometers measuring the height of water standing behind the geomembrane liner. The piezometers allow determining the hydrostatic head between the geomembrane waterproofing system and the dam upstream face, to verify that there is no build-up of pressure in the face drainage system. The discharge of drained water should occur by free flow, at atmospheric pressure, and excessive height of water standing behind the geomembrane may indicate that the drainage system is clogged. Methods for backwashing the drainage system in case of clogging are available and have been installed by Carpi at Senhora do Porto canal and Saint Martin de Vésubie hydropower reservoir in France, owned by EDF. 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 2To refine control of the performance of a GSS at a dam, the above monitoring strategy can be implemented with the technology that is object this paper, the Optical Fibre Cable temperature sensing system. The system allows - Detecting if there is water behind the geomembrane, especially in the theoretical case that the discharge pipe is clogged - Locating the area of entry of water in the face drainage layer behind the GSS. 2. OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES AS MONITORING SYSTEM FOR GSS. ‘The Optical Fibre Cable temperature sensing system is widely used all over the world to measure temperatures in embankment dams and in mass concrete and is being increasingly adopted for leak detection in hydraulic structures. Optical fibre cables, known as excellent telecom cables, can be used as thermal sensors of high accuracy: when properly instrumented, they enable to measure the temperature all along their path with a precision of 0.1°C and a resolution that can be up to 0.1 m When applied to monitoring a GSS, their functioning is based on the changes of temperature that are caused by seepage water within the drainage system, and that can be measured along optical fibre cables of several kilometres of length, continuously and with high accuracy. The cables are placed at the upstream face of the dam, under the waterproofing liner, in loops designed site-specific, ending in a watertight control box with a temperature measuring unit, which is connected to a control and monitoring software to make the measurements. When there is no water behind the waterproofing liner, the temperature behind it has a certain practically constant distribution that we can call ‘normal’ distribution of temperature. If water enters the drainage system between the liner and the upstream face of the dam, water will travel downwards by gravity, reach the nearest horizontal cable loop, and alter the “normal” temperature distribution of the cable. The cable senses the temperature alteration, thus indicating that in the vertical area above the anomaly in temperature there is presence of water. To refine the investigation, the area of influence of the anomaly can be made larger or smaller by adequately designing the loops, and the cables can be positioned near the watertight seals at the boundaries of the geomembrane system to better control their watertightness. In case the temperature of the water behind the waterproofing liner (in the face drainage system) is not much different from the ‘normal’ temperature of the water above the waterproofing liner (water in the reservoir), it could be difficult to detect if there is water behind the liner. For this reason, a method based on increasing the temperature differential between the “normal” temperature and the temperature in presence of water has been developed by the Technical University of Munich, called the Heat Pulse Method (HPM). The HPM utilises hybrid cables similar to those used in telecommunications, which can be heated up considerably at low expenditure. A standard watertight hybrid cable includes a central component for strength, multimode optical fibres for temperature sensing, copper strands that are used for heating, and an outer watertight sheathing The increase of temperature in the immediate surrounding of the cable is highly dependent on the heat capacity and heat conductivity of the surroundings. If there is water flow behind the geomembrane liner, the conductive heat transport, which is the dominating process in absence of water, is surpassed by the much more effective 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 8advective heat transport caused by the motion of the water. The cable sections within zones of higher water saturation or even of water flow will be subject to increased heat transport and will become cooler. The amplitude of the momentarily generated heat pulse is thus reduced at all locations that are intersected by leak flows. By calculating the temperature difference between the measurements before the start of the heat-pulse and at the peak of the heat pulse, zones of seepage become clearly visible. The cable itself will thus act as a sensor for leakage. (Optical Fibre Cable FIGURE 1: Rationale of the Optical Fibre Cable system at Winecar eephalt conerete face rockfil dam, UK. Water presence = a temperature atteration in the optical fibre cable = water in the vertical area above the marked point. The system thus allows locating the area in which there is water behind the geomembrane liner. Figure 2 shows an example of real scale tests carried out simulating leakage of various entities through a geomembrane placed at the upstream face of a trial embankment. In such tests, the cooling of the heat pulses tured out to be proportional to the leak flows. The higher the flow, the higher the temperature difference in the cable. The leak detections can therefore be sorted by level of importance. 00min ‘min green) ‘in ote) ostmin FIGURE 2: Higher leakage flows produce higher temperature alteration in the optical fibre cable. (Courtesy EDF/CEREMA/geophyConsult) 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 4As stated by ICOLD, the water behind the geomembrane liner can come from a damage in the liner, or it can be water infiltrating into the face drainage system from other sources. To ascertain if the water is infiltrating through a damage in the liner, an inspection must be carried out. The important advantage of the optical fibre cable system, especially in large dams and in other hydraulic structures such as canals or reservoirs, is that it highly reduces the area to be inspected; investigations activities can thus be performed in a relatively short lapse of time, quickly informing the owner if the water behind the liner comes from the surface of the dam covered by the geomembrane or from elsewhere. If at the time of the investigation the water level in the reservoir is low and the geomembrane is exposed, the investigation can be made by visual inspection or by ‘the Holiday Detector Method. If at the time of the investigation the water level in the reservoir is high, or the area of the defect is under water, the investigation can be executed by divers or by ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles). In both situations, investigations are simple and may be conducted in shorter time and at lower cost. lf water is not coming through an imperfection of the geomembrane system investigation shall continue, and proper remedies carried out (grouting, sealing of joints, etc.) 3. FIELD EXAMPLES The adoption of the optical fibre cable system as additional monitoring technique for hydraulic structures waterproofed by Carpi started in 2000. Five dams and one canal have up to date been equipped with the system, and installation on another dam is due in 2019. So far, all installations have been carried out in rehabilitation projects and in the dry, but the technology is applicable to new construction as well as in underwater environments, and as such is under consideration for two dams that cannot be dewatered. The ideal position for the cables is on the downstream side of the @SS, in the drainage gap that the face anchorage system allows between the dam face and the geomembrane liner. The cable is deployed in one or more continuous loops according to the specific design and the exact position of the marks on the cable are recorded. The cables’ ends are led to manholes or cabinets and placed in suitable connection boxes that contain all the electrical and optical fibre connections necessary for the measurements of temperature and the application of the heat-pulse method. The GSS is then installed over the cables. Typically, before the dam is impounded a “zero measurement” is performed to check the good functioning, in particular the heating of the cables, and to calibrate the system. The accuracy of a leak’s localisation is a function of the spatial resolution of the used measuring system and of the selected cable layout. The measurements can be performed on demand, when the owner detects an anomaly in the drainage measurements or in the piezometers’ readings, or on a continuous basis. An on-demand measure is typically carried out in one day by a specialised technician bringing its own mobile measuring unit and portable power generator in case no power is available at site. Continuous monitoring requires all 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 8equipment to be permanently installed on site; in such a case the system can also be equipped with alarms that are triggered automatically if anomalies are detected. Winscar asphalt conorete face rockfill dam in UK, 52 m high, was the first dam equipped with an optical fibre cable system to be routinely monitored over the years The cables were installed directly on the asphalt conerete, in loops that from the crest went down along one side of each vertical face anchorage profile that fastens the waterproofing liner to the dam, followed the primary bottom seal, went up to the crest along the next vertical face anchorage profile, and so on spanning the entire upstream face of the dam. Figures 1 and 8 show the arrangement. FIGURE 3: Winscar dam. The optical fibre cables visible at right are placed on both sides of each vertical tensioning profile and follow in a horizontal loop the primery seal at bottom. The geomembrane liner, a composite geomembrane (geocomposite) SIBELON® CNT 8750, was installed on the asphalt facing and secured against wind and waves uplift by Carpi tensioning profiles. A double watertight perimeter seal at bottom (discussed in the section on Kadamparai dam), and a top fastening at crest, complete the system. Installation of the GSS at Winscar was completed in 2001. Since then, the owner decided to perform routine yearly measurements, which were cartied out for several years. The company who installed the optical fibre cable system (Kappelmeyer, now part of Solexperts) reported one leak, at the left abutment at a very high level near the overflow area. Since several years the owner has not called for other measurements. FIGURE 4: Winscar dam. At eft installation and fastening of the waterproofing geocomposite (green for environmental reasons), at right the waterproofing works almost comploted, 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 6Installation of the system in a canal was made in 2000 at the Strogenbauwerk section of the 51 km long Mittelerer Isar hydropower canal in Germany. Also at this project the optical fibre cable was installed directly on the deteriorated existing lining, in a horizontal loop at the bottom of each slope, (Fig. 5 at left), and then covered by a Carpi exposed GSS (Fig 5 at middle and right). After the zero measurements, routine yearly measurements were decided by the owner and carried out after the canal was back in service. In one measurement some seepage was detected at the end of the rehabilitated section, probably due to water bypassing through the deteriorated concrete. Some bentonite placed over the concrete at the limit of the GSS stopped the seepage path. Measurements ended after the end of the warranty period (10 years), and no other measurement has been called for nor intervention needed since 2000. FIGURE 5: Mittlerer Isar Strogenbauwerk canal. The optical fibre cable on the deteriorated concrete. placement of the GSS, impounding In year 2005, at Kadamparai 67 m high masonry dam in india, the optical fibre cables were installed between two bands of drainage geonets, aiming at more efficiently draining the leaks towards the cables, and at protecting the cables. At this dam, separate drainage systems are provided, like at Winscar dam, for the water drained from the upstream face of the dam and the water drained from foundations. For this purpose, like at Winscar two bottom watertight perimeter seals were installed: a primary seal placed almost at the bottom of the upstream face, confining the upper drainage compartments, and a secondary seal placed underneath it, to reduce the water head on the primary seal. The drainage system has been divided into four separate compartments. The two top compartments, one at each side of the intake tower, collect the water of the upstream face, down to the primary bottom seal. The two bottom compartments, one at each side of the intake tower, collect the water between the primary and secondary bottom seals, coming from the unlined part of the dam and from foundations. Each compartment has its own discharge pipe to the gallery, where the drained water is measured. Additionally, the two upper compartments are equipped with a piezometer that can be read from the gallery, to ascertain if there is water standing behind the geomembrane liner. Different from Winscar, where the optical fibre cable system was installed only to monitor the upstream face drainage compartments, at Kadamparai both the top compartments (upstream face) and the bottom compartments (between the two bottom seals) have been equipped with the optical fibre cable system. To do so, the cables were installed in two separate loops, one at each side of the intake tower. At each loop the cable starts at the crest, follows the primary bottom seal down to the bottom, along the side of the intake tower goes down to the secondary seal, and from 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 7there it goes back up to the crest following the secondary seal. The two monitoring boxes are placed at crest. FIGURE 6: Kadamparai dam. The three monitoring systems: The optical fibre cable, and the drainage pipe and piezometer cable in the gallery. The waterproofing liner is a geocomposite, SIBELON® CNT 8750, formed by a special compound of polyvinylchloride plasticised with high molecular weight branched plasticisers, 2.5 mm thick, heat bonded to a nonwoven needle punched 500 g/m* polypropylene geotextile. The geocomposite is placed on an anti-puncture geotextile protecting it from the roughness of the masonry and is anchored by the stainless-steel tensioning profiles. At Winscar, while the geocomposite was produced in a green colour for environmental reasons, the fastening system was identical FIGURE 7: Kademparai dam. At left placement of the anti-puncture geoteatile (white) over the drainage geonets (black) embedding the optical fibre cables, at right the waterproofing geocomposite (grey) deployed and fastened by tensioning profiles, At Kadamparai total seepage has been reduced from 38,200 litres/minute to about 100 litres /minute. FIGURE 8: Kadamparai dam at impounding, and the water drained from one of the two upper 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 8compartments (about 7,000 m?) in 2013, when the dam was visited by a delegation of DRIP, India Government Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Program, under which two more dams are being waterproofed with the same GSS. ‘At Kadamparai dam, the owner decided to perform the zero measurement before impounding the dam. In the years that followed, the GSS was monitored by measuring the drained water. Temperature measurements will be called for only in case anomalies are detected. Since 2005, no temperature measurements have been performed. The same configuration of the optical fibre cable system has been adopted at the upper reservoir of Waldeck | Pumped Storage Scheme in Germany, in 2008. The upper reservoir is formed by an embankment dam at one side and by 20 m high conerete gravity dams with embankment bottoms at the other three sides. The Carpi geomembrane system was selected to repair the deteriorated upstream faces of the conerete gravity dams, lined with reinforced shotorete, which were cause of leakage. Geocomposite strip Optical §— fibre FIGURE 9: At left, detail at the bottom of one of the gravity dams at Waldeck | upper reservoir; at right, the reservoir after installation of the Carpi geomembrane system was comploted. 4. CONCLUSIONS The optical fibre cable system can implement the more traditional monitoring system, with the additional benefit of locating the area of possible water infiltration, as proven by some successful examples. 5. KEYWORDS Geomembrane, waterproofing, monitoring, optical fibre cable. 6. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES [1] ICOLD - International Commission on Large Dams (2010) - “Bulletin 185, Geomembrane Sealing Systems for Dams — Design principles and review of experience’, ICOLD, Paris 200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 9200 Semindvio Nacional de Grandes Bawoyons -NGB 10