Representativeness of measurements in the interpretation of earth dam behaviour

The representativeness of measurements monitored in earth dams is analysed to investigate how a given measured quantity can be used to interpret the dam's mechanical behaviour. Representativeness is evaluated on the basis of spatial continuity of the measured quantity and the sensitivity of that quantity to natural mechanical nonhomogeneity. The discussion is supported by results from case studies and numerical examples. The study is mainly focused on pore-water pressure measurements. Spatial continuity of pore-water pressure is analysed with consideration of both saturation and drainage conditions. The paper discusses how pore-water pressure representativeness can vary over the lifetime of the dam.Key words: earth dam, pore-water pressure, monitoring.