Monitoring of seepages around dams using geophysical methods: a brief review

The slow escape of a liquid or gas through a porous material or small openings is called seepage. It is a process of seeping in soil engineering whereby water in soils move. Seepages often pose a grave problem in building foundations and also a common problem in earth dams (Dams are structures built to retain water/fluild) due to abnormal or excessive leakage. Seepage through or around dams have been responsible for most dam failures. Dam failures are usually catastrophic with many fatalities and causing the destruction of infrastructure and properties. Therefore, monitoring of seepage through and around dams becomes a necessity in other to maintain dam’s stability. The main field of application of this investigation is subjected to site characterization and foundation quality assurance. This paper reviews the geophysical techniques which have been considered for the monitoring and control of seepages around dams