How can massive landslides be tackled by installing sensors?

Gravity continuously pulls soil and rock downhill on hillsides, and rainfall that seeps into the ground modifies the forces or stresses on those hillside materials. A landslide occurs if the stress changes are significant enough to defy the material resistance of the hillside.

Heavy or persistent rain is one of the main factors that contribute to landslides. A reliable system of forecasting and warning can significantly lessen the damage that rainfall causes. Landslides can be managed and mitigated when efficient measures are taken.

How can landslide monitoring be done?

In general, landslide-prone places can take the following actions:

• geotechnical solutions are deployed for regular monitoring of instability of the slope to stay alert for any emergency event
• use the proper slope stabilisation techniques to prevent any further deformation of slope and stablise it
• develop a real-time online monitoring program to keep a track of slope stability

When combined with efficient measures to manage and mitigate landslides, a solid prediction and forewarning system can significantly reduce the damage caused by landslides. Monitoring systems that may be accessed remotely and offer a prompt warning in the event of failure are necessary for unstable slopes.

The ability to monitor these slopes conveniently and affordably to prevent landslides and accidents has been made possible by advancements in geotechnical instruments, surveying technologies, and data transmission networks.

Encardio Rite equipment can be used for instrumentation to track slopes and look for any indications of instability. In order to reduce the risk of landslides, slope displacement and other characteristics must be monitored in real-time.

Vibrating wire piezometers can be used to measure the water pressure inside pores. With in-place inclinometers, extensometers, crack metres, tiltmeters, and automatic survey systems, lateral motions and deformations can be detected.

A data logger is linked to these equipment. Data from the instrument is automatically collected at predetermined intervals and sent to web servers for real-time monitoring. Another way to transfer this data is using the SDI-12 bus.  If predetermined values are surpassed, alarms are set off and SMS messages are sent to allow for prompt reduction of risks.

Equipment rendered by Encardio Rite for landslide monitoring

Encardio Rite provides easy-to-use, comprehensive, and affordable devices in addition to landslide monitoring methods. The monitoring tools for landslides that Encardio Rite offers are as follows:

• During tasks like tunnelling, excavation, and dewatering, inclinometers are used to gauge the slope gradient.
• A piezometer sensor commonly referred to as a "pore pressure metre," is used to measure the pore water pressure.
• To measure the change in tilt and track inclination/vertical rotation in vertical constructions, tilt sensors and tilt metres are used.
• A geotechnical monitoring tool called an extensometer is made to assist civil engineers and geologists in measuring the deformation of a rock mass and nearby or surrounding soil.
• According to the application, rock bolts, tiebacks, foundation anchors, cables, or struts can all be loaded using anchor bolt load cells, also known as centre hole load cells.

Other types of equipment available for landslide monitoring include Crack/Joint meters, data loggers and rain gauge.

An engineering geologist is needed to accurately assess the sort of landslide that will occur and to take corrective action based on the data gathered and the expertise gained in dealing with previous problems that are similar to the one at hand. The answer must be established on a carefully considered working hypothesis that takes into account the expense and efficacy of the efforts made.