Moglicë, FO Leakage Monitoring

Moglicë dam, located in Albania, is a 167 m high rock fill dam with a centrally placed asphalt core and with a crest length of approximately 360 m. Construction of the dam started in October 2016 and the impoundment was completed in April 2020. The dam is constructed of river gravel and quarried limestone. The upstream and downstream slopes of the dam are both: 1(V):1.5(H).

Details of the Fibre Optic Monitoring System

The Moglicë fibre optic leakage detection system is focused on three areas of the dam:

A lower perimeter cable, to provide monitoring of the potential seepages across and/or beneath the gallery and plinth,
An upper cable which is specifically placed at EL.620m to detect seepage across the asphalt core in case of rupture as
a result of a strong earthquake and displacement of the upper part of the dam,
A vertical cable array on the downstream side of the cutoff and grout curtain to monitor the effectiveness of the foundation
treatments beneath the upper left abutment.

The system is based on the temperature gradient and the heat-pulse method.