Research paper entitled “UAV-Enabled Coupled Infrared and Optical Characterization of the May 19, 2020, Edenville Dam Failure in Michigan” introduced in Geo-Congress 2022 and published under ASCE Library.

ARGO-E GROUP team, led by Prof. Dimitrios Zekkos and John Manousakis, co-authored the paper entitled “UAV-Enabled Coupled Infrared and Optical Characterization of the May 19, 2020, Edenville Dam Failure in Michigan”. The paper focuses on remote sensing data collected during immediate field reconnaissance activities after the dam failure, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), equipped with optical and thermal / infrared sensors. The results are presented with emphasis on the infrared data, which is not yet extensively used in geotechnical engineering.

It is shown that the infrared imagery, which provides an estimate of material temperature, along with 3D models derived from optical data was successful in classifying different soils (such as gravel fills, sandy soils, and clayey soils) and other materials encountered at the dam. Gravelly fills systematically exhibited the highest temperatures, clayey soils the lowest temperatures, with sandy soils having intermediate temperatures.

Optical (RGB), aspect and slope angle, and infrared data of southeast exposure (left), and northwest exposure of the dam (right)

In addition, infrared data were used to identify wetter areas, or locations where through-seepage was observed within the dam study area, as well as to assess the gravimetric water content of soil materials.

Citation: UAV-Enabled Coupled Infrared and Optical Characterization of the May 19, 2020, Edenville Dam Failure in Michigan
Dimitrios Zekkos, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE; Cassandra Champagne; Jerome Lynch, M.ASCE; John Manousakis; and Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, P.E., M.ASCE
Geo-Congress 2022 : Advances in Monitoring and Sensing; Embankments, Slopes, and Dams; Pavements; and Geo-Education, 2022.

Visit publication page in ASCE Library.

PDF available upon request.