Distributed strain, settlement and temperature sensing in geotechnical earth embankments

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Publication Title
Distributed strain, settlement and temperature sensing in geotechnical earth embankments

Abstract
Distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) is more and more applicable in civil and geotechnical engineering to monitor the structural performance during construction and operation. The main advantage of this approach is the ability to measure selected physical quantities continuously over the entire length of the sensor – from few millimetres to hundreds of kilometres. This makes DFOS particularly useful for monitoring linear structures such as tunnels, roads, highways, bridges, pipelines, dams or embankments. The article describes the principles of this technique, including its main advantages and limitations, and then focuses on practical applications in several road embankments, including one of the highest in Poland. Depending on the project requirements, the type of the DFOS sensor and the configuration of the whole system, distributed strains, displacements (settlements) and temperatures can be extracted from measurements and analysed in detail. The article summarises a number of good practices and lessons learned on practical issues like selection of the sensor and optical device, installation method, thermal compensation, post-processing algorithms and data visualisation to facilitate its engineering interpretation.
Authors
L. Bednarski; T. Howiacki; Rafal Sienko; K. Zuziak

Published In

18th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ECSMGE2024)

Theme

C - Risk analysis and safety evaluation

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