Tech-Levee-Watch: Experimenting an integrated geophysical system for stability assessment of levees

The aim of the Tech-Levee-Watch project is to combine geophysical technologies into an integrated system of diagnosis-monitoring-alert related to the vulnerability of earthen levees. A first milestone of the project consists in validating a fast scanning methodology based on a proper combination of portable geophysical instruments tailored to detect possible unstable areas of the levee structures. A second milestone consists in monitoring the most critical sites by installing a low-power fully-automatic geo-resistivity meter prototype programmed for wireless daily transmission of resistivity maps. The third milestone is the calibration of a relation between resistivity values and water content values so that resistivity maps will be transformed into water content maps used to feed a simulator of the levee stability. The final milestone consists of calibrating a set of thresholds in order to define an early-warning procedure to be delivered to administrations and citizens. This procedure can help authorities to organize maintenance of the embankments and to face critical situations that can lead to economic damages and loss of human lives.