Research Progress of Dike Leak Rescue Technology

Abstract

Leaks refer to seepage holes running through a dike body or foundation, the formation of which may pose dire threats to dike safety and cause dike breaching due to a large flow rate and strong scouring force. Once the water inlet of a leak is detected, sealing and rescue measures should be taken in accordance with the principle of “inlet plugging and outlet anti-filtration”. The key is the quick filling and stability of the plugging materials. Herein, the rescue technology of dike leaks is systematically laid out; the formation causes and development mechanism of the leaks are analyzed; the dike leak detection, plugging, and sealing technology is summarized; and the future research direction is clarified. Existing plugging technology and equipment are complicated and time-consuming. Hence, plugging methods should be innovated and improved to effectively improve the efficiency and success rate of emergency rescues. A new concept of “grade-by-grade plugging and sealing” is correspondingly proposed for dike leaks, changing leak rescues from “single-level plugging and sealing at the leak inlet” to “grade-by-grade plugging and sealing at the portal and inside the leak”. A tandem closed space is formed in the leak. The hydrodynamic pressure is changed from the independent bearing of the portal to the gradual bearing of the plugging materials at the portal and inside the leak.