Structural health monitoring of earthen and hydraulic structures with a monitoring and early warning fiber optics system

Abstract

To assess the safety of an earthen structure, it is essential to have and be able to interpret monitoring data, but the measurements are sometimes difficult to implement and not always reliable over the long term. By inserting optical fibers into a geotextile, the TenCate GeoDetect® solution is the first monitoring system designed specifically for geotechnical applications. Successfully implemented for the past eight years on numerous structures, it provides access to information that was previously very difficult to obtain with great precision. The monitoring solution is based on geotextile and fibre optics composite sensors, to measure both, strain and temperature in earthen and hydraulic structures. It is very accurate as the detection thresholds are lower than 0.02 % and 0.1°C, respectively, whether on localized works or on long linear infrastructures of several tens of kilometres. It has been used for more than 6 years on many walls, piled embankments or with risk of cavities, basins, landfills and dykes.