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Dams and hydraulic structures

Sentinel Cloud for dams and hydraulic structures

The structure diagnosis module brings together sub-millimetre orthophotos of the faces, defect mapping and the 3D model of the structure. The operator’s engineers navigate the model, draw cross-sections, consult each crack with its properties and compare campaigns.

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Sentinel Cloud for dams and hydraulic structures — Hydroelectric dam seen from the drone, Brazil

What the structure diagnosis module does

2D defect maps

One map per face or block: orthophoto, annotations and digital elevation model, with a selector to switch between them or show everything.

3D model of the structure

Tiled textured mesh displayed in the browser, on a satellite and terrain background or a neutral one; initial view saved by the operator and by each user.

Cross-sections and slices

Section axes drawn in the model and saved as reference or personal axes; position along the axis, slice thickness and direction inversion.

X-ray mode

The model becomes translucent so that defects behind the volumes can be read.

Every defect has its record

GeoJSON layers organised by family (cracks, exposed rebar, detachments, seepage, vegetation) and by face, with name, number, real and projected length, elevation change, slope, colour and comments; one click recentres the model on the defect.

Banks, canals and reservoirs

The same module is used for erosion monitoring of banks and canals: orthophotos and elevation models of successive campaigns, consulted by technical services.

On a real structure

Hydroelectric plant on the São Francisco river (Bahia, Brazil), January 2025 campaign.

3D model of the spillway, with its findings sorted by family: 647 cracks, one exposed rebar, two detachments, two seepages, thirteen vegetation areas

The spillway piers seen from downstream, cracks drawn in red

Record of a crack: 1.11 m real length, 103 cm projected, 0.46 m elevation change, 62% slope

Cracks drawn on the orthophoto of the downstream face

Orthophoto of the spillway, downstream view

Monitoring that lasts

Peti arch dam (Minas Gerais): four annual campaigns between 2022 and 2025, registered on the same reference marks. The initial state counted 4,052 cracks; the 2025 campaign found only six new ones, confirming the stability of the structure.

Structure	46 m high arch, 85 m crest, 9.4 MW
2025 campaign	2,037 photos, 21 flights, 12.7 km flown
Face resolution	0.7 to 1.2 mm per pixel
Deliverables	7 orthophotos, 1 3D model, 71 plates, shapefiles

The Peti dam seen from downstream, 360° panorama taken in September 2023 during the second campaign

The spillway in operation, seen from the drone

The reservoir and the crest, seen from upstream

Frequently asked questions

Which structures have you already covered?

Arch and gravity dams in Brazil (Minas Gerais, Bahia, São Paulo), concrete test blocks, canals and reservoirs in French Guiana; five structure diagnosis projects were online in October 2026.

Is the 3D model updated at each campaign?

Each campaign produces its own model and orthophotos; previous campaigns remain available as sub-projects for comparison.