Image Structure of Large Dams in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, Using Surface GPR Reflection Techniques

Nowadays, earthquakes often take place around the world. The location of earthquakes actuallylocates close to the fault. There are two large faults locate in Kanchanaburi, Western of Thailand. Thesafety and operability of the large damp depends on the quality of material used to construct the bodyof the dam as well as to the earthquakes and fault in that area. It is known that the dam suffers frommany different structural problems which can lead to damage to the body of dam, for instant;earthquakes, fault, the weight of car while it run on the pavement of the dam, the weight of dam andthe weight of the water in the dam. Many forms of damage, originating in the bottom layers areinvisible until the pavement or the body of the dam cracks. They depend on the infiltration of waterand the presence of cohesive soil greatly reduces the bearing capacity of the cement or sub asphaltlayers and underlying soils or rock. On the basis of an in-depth literature review, an experimentalsurvey with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was carried out. The experiments were set on apavement on the top of the dam. GRP travel time data were used to transmit and receive theelectromagnetic field and given the image of the medium into 2-dimensional cross section. The imagefigure results of sounding from Khaoleam Dam and Srinakarin Dam in Kanchanaburi provinceshowed that there was no damage in the structure of dam. It means that, up to now, Si Sawat Fault andThree Pagoda Fault do not take effect to the body of both dams.