Screening for dams and spillways.

Dam-body settlement rates and cold-region freeze–thaw, with spillway concrete degradation modelled.

Dams and spillways

Why it matters

Cold winters wear spillway concrete one cycle at a time.

Dams combine large concrete volumes, water and, in cold regions, dozens of freeze–thaw cycles a year. PILLAR tracks dam-body settlement against a 3 mm/yr screen and models how freeze–thaw and other mechanisms degrade spillway concrete.

  • Screen 3 mm/yr and 1/1000 for dam bodies
  • Freeze–thaw cycles per year from ERA5 climate
  • Spillway concrete degradation with a 600-draw Monte Carlo
  • Action queue items such as checking for surface scaling

What PILLAR checks

Dams and spillways

01

Settlement

Dam-body rates per cell, with uncertainty.

02

Freeze–thaw

Cumulative freeze–thaw index per site.

03

Surface checks

Where the index is high, the action queue suggests a surface scaling check.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does water affect InSAR at dams?

Water surfaces do not return a stable radar signal, so PILLAR measures the dam body and surrounding ground and leaves water cells out.

Which dams suit PILLAR?

Concrete dams and spillways, especially in cold regions or with long service lives, where freeze–thaw and settlement matter.

Work with us

Start with a screening pilot.

No equipment on site. We screen your structures from public satellite and climate data first, then compare the priority list with your own inspection and survey results.