NSHT: New Smart Hybrid Transducer for Structural and Geotechnical Applications

This work describes the application of a new transducer prototype for continuous monitoring in both the structural and geotechnical fields. The transducer is synthetically constituted by a wire of optical fiber embedded between two fiber tapes (fiberglass or carbon fiber) and glued by a matrix of polyester resin. The fiber optical wire ends have been connected to a control unit whose detection system is based on Brillouin optical time-domain frequency analysis. Three laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the sensor's reliability and accuracy. In each experiment, the transducer was applied to a sample of inclinometer casing sets in different configurations and with different constraint conditions. The experimental collected data were compared with theoretical models and with data obtained from the use of different measuring instruments to perform validation and calibration of the transducer at the same time. Several diagrams can compare the transducer and highlight its suitability for the monitoring and maintenance of structures. The characteristic of the transducer suggests its use as a mixed system for reinforcing and monitoring, especially in the lifetime maintenance of critical infrastructures such as transportation and service networks, and historical heritag

Monitoring of strain and temperature in an open pit using brillouin distributed optical fiber sensors

Marble quarries are quite dangerous environments in which rock falls may occur. As many workers operate in these sites, it is necessary to deal with the matter of safety at work, checking and monitoring the stability conditions of the rock mass. In this paper, some results of an innovative analysis method are shown. It is based on the combination of Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors (DOFS), digital photogrammetry through Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), topographic, and geotechnical monitoring systems. Although DOFS are currently widely used for studying infrastructures, buildings and landslides, their use in rock marble quarries represents an element of peculiarity. The complex morphologies and the intense temperature range that characterize this environment make this application original. The selected test site is the Lorano open pit which is located in the Apuan Alps (Italy); here, a monitoring system consisting of extensometers, crackmeters, clinometers and a Robotic Total Station has been operating since 2012. From DOFS measurements, strain and temperature values were obtained and validated with displacement data from topographic and geotechnical instruments. These results may provide useful fundamental indications about the rock mass stability for the safety at work and the long-term planning of mining activities

Experimental Evaluation of a Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor for Mining Application

Triggered remote seismic events have been widely studied in the earthquake engineering context where various possible explanations have been provided, including directivity of dynamic stresses, a critically stressed environment, the presence of hydrothermal geological environments at remote distances, and so on. Similar events have been observed in underground mining regions; however, they have rarely been studied in terms of the underlying mechanisms such as the presence of faults of marginal stability, increases in the stress gradient between mined out regions as a result of connective fractures, unclamping effect on geological features such as dikes or joint swarms, and so on. This research was triggered in part by the hypothesis that remote seismic events in mines could be triggered when gravity-driven displacements are transferred to distances far from active mining (10’s to 100’s of metres). Accordingly, the thesis focuses on experimental research on a novel deformation sensing sensor for future verification of this assumption. A secondary focus is mathematical modeling to help understand the deformation mechanisms and magnitudes that may take place in a jointed rock mass. Distributed Brillouin sensing systems (DBSs) have found growing applications in engineering and are attracting attention in the field of underground structures including mining. The capability for continuous measurements of strain over large distances makes DBSs a promising monitoring approach for understanding deformation field evolution within a rock mass, particularly when the sensor is installed away from “excavation damaged zones” (EDZ). A purpose-built fiber optic sensing cable, a vital component of DBSs, was assessed in laboratory conditions to establish the capability and limitations of this technology to monitor deformation fields over large distances. A test program was performed to observe DBSs response to various perturbations including axial and shear strain resulting from joint movements. These tests included assessments of the strain-free cable response and the application of extensional and lateral displacement to various sensing cable lengths (strained lengths from 1 m down to 1 cm). Furthermore, tests were done to evaluate the time-dependent behavior of the cable and to observe the effect of strain transfer using a soft host material (i.e., a soft grout) under lateral displacement. The noise level of the DBSs range was ±77 µε, determined through repeated measurements on an unstrained cable. Stretching test results showed a linear correlation between the applied strain and the Brillouin frequency shift change for all strained lengths above half the spatial resolution of the DBSs. However, for strained lengths shorter than half the spatial resolution, no strain response was measurable and this is due to the applied internal signal processing of the DBSs to detect peak Brillouin gain spectrum and noise level. The stability with time of the measurements was excellent for test periods up to 15 hours. Lateral displacement test results showed a less consistent response compared to extension tests for a given applied displacement. The Brillouin frequency shift change is linearly correlated with the applied displacement in tension but it shows a parabolic variation with lateral displacement. Moreover, the registered frequency response (correlated with strain) of the system decreased significantly when the sensing cable was embedded in a sand-filled tube compared with direct cable displacement. A comprehensive laboratory scale testing program was undertaken to study the response of the system to different loading paths in time and space domains. Purely extensional displacement fields were applied to demonstrate that the system could produce repeatable displacement responses for three different configurations of distributed strained patterns. A borehole installation method was developed by testing the sensing cable’s response while embedded in mortar beams. When the cable is directly embedded in the mortar, uncontrolled self-debonding happens that introduces uncertainties in the measurements. This limitation was overcome by anchoring debonded sections of the sensing cable at regular spacing. This arrangement produced consistent strain patterns for each strained interval. It was shown that the performance of the debonded sections changes for longer anchor spacing and for closely spaced joints where more than one joint crosses the debonded interval. The influence of borehole diameter and strength of the filling material were evaluated for their possible effects on the strain transfer process to the sensing cable. With the anchored arrangement of debonded cables, these properties of the grout did not have a measurable effect on the results, and as long as the tensile strength of the grout is low enough to break at the joint locations, the strain transfer performance from the rockmass to the sensing cable was excellent. A study was devoted to understanding such a deformation monitoring system under various shear displacement conditions. These included the difference in response of the system in direct shear compared to tests performed in direct tension. The system response was evaluated for various strained lengths as well as distances over which the bending strains are acting (kink lengths). The latter was found to be an important factor influencing monitoring results. In addition, the system behavior under shear displacement where the sensor is inclined with respect to the joint strike was evaluated to understand the effect of a combined extension and shear displacement. The effect of the existence of two joints over the strained lengths was assessed in both direct and inclined shear. A new relation was established between the registered Brillouin frequency shift change and all contributing components of deformation when the sensor is elongated while under shear displacement. The testing program shows that Distributed Brillouin Sensing (DBS) technology has promise for detecting deformations over long distances. Not only strain localization occurring at pre-existing discontinuities or at developing cracks can be detected by this sensor, but also strain levels well below the typical damage initiation threshold (~0.1%) for hard brittle rocks are above the basic noise level of the system. However, the sensing element is quite fragile when under shear displacement and can easily break at small shear displacements. Therefore, it is better to have an idea of the dominant deformation mechanism in the rock mass before the installation of the sensor. The sensor would be much more durable where the rock mass experiences less shearing. Mathematical simulations of a 2D rock mass were carried out using the distinct element method. Two major parameters including interlocking degree and pre-existing conditions such as mined-out zones at higher levels were studied. Different rock mass models with varying block sizes, joint set orientations, and joint persistency were built to study the effect of interlock on the displacement pattern away from mining. In general, displacement as large as 5 cm could travel distances as far as 500 m away from the active mining zone. The exact displacement pattern is largely controlled by the characteristics of the joints sets. However, the transfer of large displacements was limited to distances of the size of the mining boundary, where rock mass interlocking promote arching. Furthermore, with non-persistent joint sets, a few shear slip events were noticed at higher levels whereas more remote joints did not show slip. All slip events were close to the mining boundary. Remote shear slip events, could not be generated by changing parameters representing the degree of interlock in the rock mass. When a backfilled old mine was added to the middle height of the model, some 500 m away from active mining, results showed that a large number of joints around the old mining zone slipped due to displacements induced by the distant deeper mining. It was found that the pre-existing excavation and the mine extraction strategy is a critical factor for providing conditions under which such slip events at remote distances occur from active mining

Direct monitoring of active geohazards: emerging geophysical tools for deep-water assessments

Seafloor networks of cables, pipelines, and other infrastructure underpin our daily lives, providing communication links, information, and energy supplies. Despite their global importance, these networks are vulnerable to damage by a number of natural seafloor hazards, including landslides, turbidity currents, fluid flow, and scour. Conventional geophysical techniques, such as high-resolution reflection seismic and side-scan sonar, are commonly employed in geohazard assessments. These conventional tools provide essential information for route planning and design; however, such surveys provide only indirect evidence of past processes and do not observe or measure the geohazard itself. As such, many numerical-based impact models lack field-scale calibration, and much uncertainty exists about the triggers, nature, and frequency of deep-water geohazards. Recent advances in technology now enable a step change in their understanding through direct monitoring. We outline some emerging monitoring tools and how they can quantify key parameters for deepwater geohazard assessment. Repeat seafloor surveys in dynamic areas show that solely relying on evidence from past deposits can lead to an under-representation of the geohazard events. Acoustic Doppler current profiling provides new insights into the structure of turbidity currents, whereas instrumented mobile sensors record the nature of movement at the base of those flows for the first time. Existing and bespoke cabled networks enable high bandwidth, low power, and distributed measurements of parameters such as strain across large areas of seafloor. These techniques provide valuable new measurements that will improve geohazard assessments and should be deployed in a complementary manner alongside conventional geophysical tools

Electromagnetic Sensing Techniques for Non-Destructive Diagnosis of Civil Engineering Structures

Environmental policy & protocol

Chapter Electromagnetic Sensing Techniques for Non-Destructive Diagnosis of Civil Engineering Structures

Environmental policy & protocol

Structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a term increasingly used in the last decade to describe a range of systems implemented on full-scale civil infrastructures and whose purposes are to assist and inform operators about continued 'fitness for purpose' of structures under gradual or sudden changes to their state, to learn about either or both of the load and response mechanisms. Arguably, various forms of SHM have been employed in civil infrastructure for at least half a century, but it is only in the last decade or two that computer-based systems are being designed for the purpose of assisting owners/operators of ageing infrastructure with timely information for their continued safe and economic operation. This paper describes the motivations for and recent history of SHM applications to various forms of civil infrastructure and provides case studies on specific types of structure. It ends with a discussion of the present state-of-the-art and future developments in terms of instrumentation, data acquisition, communication systems and data mining and presentation procedures for diagnosis of infrastructural 'health'

Deformation Activity Analysis of a Ground Fissure Based on Instantaneous Total Energy

This study proposes a novel instantaneous total energy method to perform an activity analysis of ground fissures deformation, which is calculated by integrating the extreme-point symmetric mode decomposition (ESMD) method and kinetic energy based on the time-series displacement acquired by shape acceleration array (SAA) sensors. The proposed method is tested on the Xiwang Road fissure in Beijing, China. First, to fully monitor the hanging wall and footwall of the monitored ground fissure, a 4 m-long SAA in the vertical direction and an 8 m-long SAA in the horizontal direction were embedded in a ground fissure to obtain an accurate time-series displacement with an accuracy of ±1.5 mm/32 m and a displacement acquisition frequency of once an hour. Second, to improve the accuracy of the activity analysis, the ESMD method and Spearman's rho are applied to perform signal denoising of the original time-series displacement obtained by the SAA sensors. Finally, the instantaneous total energy is obtained to analyze the activity of the monitored ground fissure. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is more reliable to reflect the activity of a monitored ground fissure compared to the time-series displacement