Engineering and Design: Instrumentation of Embankment Dams and Levees

This manual supersedes Engineer Manual (EM) 1110-2-1908, dated 30 June 1995

This manual provides guidance to USACE personnel who are responsible for instrumenting, monitoring, and assessing the performance of embankment dams, levees, and floodwalls.

This manual addresses the instrumentation of embankment dams and levees (including floodwalls). Monitoring before, during, and after construction is important to assess performance until the project is decommissioned.

This manual presents theoretical and practical concepts intended to help staff develop a successful instrumentation plan, referred to as the surveillance and monitoring plan in this document. Guidance regarding data retrieval, processing, evaluation, and instrumentation maintenance is provided to persons responsible for operating the system. Since dam and levee risk can change over time and because aging projects and associated instruments require increased attention, long-term evaluation is discussed.

Instrumentation and monitoring is unique to the needs of a particular project. Therefore, an engineering manual cannot completely address the specific needs of every project. Engineering judgment is required in all aspects of instrumentation and monitoring including planning, design, installation, management, processing, data integrity, analysis, reporting, and any associated recommended actions.

This manual stresses the importance of staff members. Instrumentation cannot substitute for persons who are skilled, diligent, and responsible.

Potential failure mode analyses, risk assessments, and appropriate risk reduction measures need to be understood and used as the basis for recognizing the need for action, assessment of appropriate action, and implementation of that action. Instrumentation data and evaluation can play a crucial role in risk-informed decision making and associated actions. Risk assessments can also be used to identify critical instruments or if instruments important to a failure mode do not exist and should be pursued.

Waterside and landside water levels for levees and pool/headwater and tailwater for dams are used interchangeably in this document. Examples may discuss pool/headwater and tailwater of a dam, but the concepts are typically the same for levees or vice versa.