The number and height of rockfill dams in Brazil has been steadily growing, because rockfills constitute an adequate solution when the project requires a large volume of rock excavation and there is a lack of fine grained soils in the region. The development of new equipment for measuring displacements in these dams is of fundamental importance. Testing prototypes in the laboratory, under simulated field conditions, allows the researcher to implement modifications in the design characteristics and installation procedures for the instrument. As a result, measurements with higher accuracy and reliability are obtained and, consequently, higher safety for the dams. A comprehensive review of the literature on geotechnical instrumentation is presented. Two prototypes of displacement measuring devices have been studied and tested: a hydrostatic displacement cell and a multiple rods horizontal extensometer. Both were constructed and tested in the Civil Engineering Laboratory of Furnas, in Goiás, Brazil. The results and conclusions obtained will result in important modifications in the design and installation details of these instruments.