Seepage Patterns in an Earth-Rock Fill Dam Evaluation using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) Method

Seepages in the earth-rock fill dam are usually monitored by pore pressure, seepage water table, and seepage discharge. However, those monitoring are difficult to describe the seepage patterns because they are installed only in certain points. This research evaluated the seepage pattern resulting from Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). The resistivity was measured by installing electrodes upstream of the Dam at every 10 m and downstream at 20 m distances. The seepage pattern was analysed from the resistivity 2 Dimension distribution using the RES2DINV program. The results showed that the seepage pattern resulting from the ERT method’s resistivity data, which was compared with data of surface dam deformation, pore pressure, and seepage water table, could explain the seepage discharge data. Based on those confirming data, the resistivity data of the ERT method was appropriate to explain the seepage pattern in the earth-rock fill dam and can be further utilized for dam stability analysis.

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