In this study, we report the damage characteristics of conduits in irrigation earth dams based on the surveys conducted on four dams with different conduit types (cast-in-place and precast types) and diameters (600–1000 mm). The damage condition (cracks, leakage, and joint separation) and the deformation of conduits were observed using a self-propelled measuring system with an inertial measurement unit (gyroscope and accelerometer) and a CCD camera. Results reveal that cracks were scarce in conduits, and most conduit deformations were accommodated by the joint separation. In particular, in the precast conduits, because the number of joints per unit length was more, the deformation tended to be allocated to several joints. Moreover, settlements of conduits were not simply convex in accordance with the overburden pressures but were significantly affected by intake structures and structural cutoff walls. Although, in the future, it is necessary to develop conduits with joints having both high sealing performance and flexibility, the results obtained from this study will provide important knowledge for this development.

在这项研究中，我们基于对四个具有不同导管类型（现场浇筑和预制类型）和直径（600-1000 mm）的水坝进行的调查，报告了灌溉土坝中导管的破坏特征。使用带有惯性测量单元（陀螺仪和加速度计）和CCD摄像机的自动测量系统，观察损坏情况（裂纹，泄漏和接头分离）和导管变形。结果表明，管道中裂缝很少，并且大多数管道变形通过接头分离得以解决。特别地，在预制管道中，由于每单位长度的接头数量更多，因此变形倾向于分配给多个接头。此外，管道的沉降不仅根据上覆压力而简单地凸出，而且受进水结构和结构截留壁的影响很大。尽管将来有必要开发具有高密封性能和柔韧性的接头的导管，但是从这项研究中获得的结果将为这项开发提供重要的知识。