Hundreds of Kinemetrics monitoring instruments have
been installed in dams throughout the world, from
Los Angeles County and Pacoima, California, to Hoover
Dam, Nevada, to Tarbella Dam, Pakistan, Vidraru Dam,
Romania, El Toro Dam, Costa Rica and many others.
Kinemetrics instruments measure ground and structural
responses both before and after the dams are filled
as well as for long-term monitoring. Finite element
analysis, in 2D or 3D requires synchronized real
data to verify the validity of the mathematical dynamic
model. Kinemetrics’ instruments provide these
data with high accuracy, while the Kinemetrics OASIS
software offers remote real time alerting with on-screen
imaging and audible alarms.
A few of the characteristics of the Kinemetrics
instruments that customers prefer are the high dynamic
range, frequency bandwidths, anti-alias filters,
and the fact that Kinemetrics’ Altus family
of stand-alone recorders can be synchronized with
GPS to within 500 micro-second precision.
Kinemetrics instrumentation is being used in two
current projects: the St. Marguerite project in Quebec,
Canada and the Katse dam in South Africa.
Katse Dam, South Africa
The Katse Dam, at 185m high, is part of the Lesotho
Highlands water project in South Africa, one of
the world’s largest civil engineering projects
currently in progress. The project will redirect
a portion of the water to South Africa as well
as provide water and power for the country of Lesotho.
On March 10, 1998, the reservoir was fully impounded
and for the first time, water issued over the spillway.
A UK company, Soil Instruments is the subcontractor
for the project for the supply and installation
of measuring devices. A total of seven Kinemetrics
strong motion accelerographs have been installed
at the site near the left bank, mid point and right
bank at the foundation and crest levels of the
dam. A single unit is installed in the center of
the dam body. The seismic control computer receives
data from the remote accelerographs and is used
to trigger a change in the recording frequency
of the data stored by the software on the main
computer. The data files are then produced by the
main computer for analysis by the engineer.
St. Marguerite Project, Canada
Construction of the Hydro-Quebec project, the Sainte
Marguerite, began in 1994 with preliminary construction
works. The first phase of the project was awarded
in 1966 with the 144m high dam contract going to
the joint venture of Enterprise du Bonseil and
Spi Batignoles of Quebec. As of May 1998, the dam
had been completed to a height of about 120m, with
the underground powerhouse and the 8.3 km of tunnels
progressing according to schedule. The actual filling
of the reservoir will take about three years, with
the commissioning to take place in 2001. Hydro-Quebec
is using a 12-Channel Altus K2 with FBAs to measure
the structural responses of the St. Marguerite.
