Accurate estimation of soil settlements in the foundation layer and the structure itself are of paramount importance during and after the construction of a new earth embankment. Various methodologies are currently available for this aim; however, only a few of them provide precise information on the location and magnitude of deformation by measuring within the structure. Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS), which is a relatively new structural health monitoring technique, has demonstrated considerable efficacy in the surveillance and early warning of structural performance. Its extensive application in geotechnical engineering is attributed to its capability for conducting continuous and precise measurements along the entire length of the fiber optic cable, making it particularly advantageous for large-scale projects characterized by material heterogeneity. This paper utilizes deformation-detecting fibers exploited with a Brillouin Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (BOFDR) to monitor the soil settlements induced by the construction of a new large embankment at Resia Lake (Northern Italy). The embankment, which spans 1.5 km in length and 100 m in base width, was constructed in two phases. Each phase involved a 10 m elevation of soil, primarily composed of sands, completed over two months with a one-year interval between the phases. During this interval, fluctuations in the lake's water level influenced the settlements of the structure. The implementation and evaluation of the innovative DFOS technique evidence that DFOSs are an alternative to traditional methods, such as long-base extensometers, as they provide distributed information over the monitored section permitting the identification of specific layers of significant deformation. This study reports and discusses the results obtained through DFOS and extensometers installed in a 30 m deep vertical borehole. Particular attention is given to the cost-benefit analysis of the methodologies employed, emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages of each tested monitoring technique.
Comparative Analysis of DFOS and Traditional Methods for Soil Settlement Monitoring in Civil Infrastructure
Nicola Fabbian
;Lorenzo Brezzi;Simonetta Cola
2025
Abstract
Accurate estimation of soil settlements in the foundation layer and the structure itself are of paramount importance during and after the construction of a new earth embankment. Various methodologies are currently available for this aim; however, only a few of them provide precise information on the location and magnitude of deformation by measuring within the structure. Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS), which is a relatively new structural health monitoring technique, has demonstrated considerable efficacy in the surveillance and early warning of structural performance. Its extensive application in geotechnical engineering is attributed to its capability for conducting continuous and precise measurements along the entire length of the fiber optic cable, making it particularly advantageous for large-scale projects characterized by material heterogeneity. This paper utilizes deformation-detecting fibers exploited with a Brillouin Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (BOFDR) to monitor the soil settlements induced by the construction of a new large embankment at Resia Lake (Northern Italy). The embankment, which spans 1.5 km in length and 100 m in base width, was constructed in two phases. Each phase involved a 10 m elevation of soil, primarily composed of sands, completed over two months with a one-year interval between the phases. During this interval, fluctuations in the lake's water level influenced the settlements of the structure. The implementation and evaluation of the innovative DFOS technique evidence that DFOSs are an alternative to traditional methods, such as long-base extensometers, as they provide distributed information over the monitored section permitting the identification of specific layers of significant deformation. This study reports and discusses the results obtained through DFOS and extensometers installed in a 30 m deep vertical borehole. Particular attention is given to the cost-benefit analysis of the methodologies employed, emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages of each tested monitoring technique.
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