The Älvkarleby Test Dam
The Älvkarleby Test Dam
The Älvkarleby test embankment dam was constructed as a largescale physical model to investigate damage detection, mechanical behaviour and internal erosion of embankment dams under controlled conditions. Designed in accordance with Swedish dam safety guidelines, the 4 mhigh dam incorporated intentional defects and was instrumented with a comprehensive suite of geotechnical and geophysical monitoring systems. The project aimed to evaluate the performance of these monitoring techniques, assess the dams response to initial impoundment and cyclic reservoir level fluctuations, and examine the effectiveness of remedial grouting. The results demonstrated that traditional sensors effectively captured porepressure and deformation trends, while advanced monitoring methods, such as 3D electrical resistivity tomography and distributed acoustic sensing, provided valuable insights into subsurface anomalies. The dismantling of the dam confirmed several of the monitoringbased observations, including the development of a preferential seepage path near the base of the core. The study highlighted the importance of integrating multiple monitoring approaches and accounting for scale effects when interpreting experimental results. While quantitative extrapolation to fullscale embankment dams required caution, the qualitative findings particularly those related to internal erosion mechanisms and the influence of operational variability were directly transferable to realworld applications. Overall, the project underscored the potential of combining instrumentation, modelling, and physical validation to enhance dam safety and to inform the development of future monitoring strategies.
Johan Lagerlund; Jasmina Toromanovic; Jan Laue
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 1: Physical modelling – from Practice/Industry to Academia
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-457