Description
Enhancing the understanding of the geotechnical features of existing levees through on-site examination and monitoring is essential to estimate their security and that of the adjacent environment. However, these tasks are intricate given the extensive length of the levees and the significant variability of soil texture within the structure and base of the levee, particularly in mountainous areas and locations where ancient channels exist in the underlying soil. Traditional methods for levee monitoring involve visual inspections, borehole drilling, in-situ tests, and the deployment of devices like piezometers and tensiometers. Regrettably, these methods often grapple with limitations imposed by their constrained spatial resolution. However, these methods are often constrained by their limited spatial resolution. This investigation ventures into the frontier of embankment monitoring, specifically probing the utilization of distributed fiber optical sensors (DFOS) for gauging temperature variations. The case study here presented elucidates the monitoring of an embankment along the Adige River in province of Bolzano (Italy). Notably, this embankment encountered a significant flood event in Autumn 2023. The gathered data serves a dual purpose: advancing our comprehension of the hydraulic dynamics and safety parameters governing this segment of levees, while also appraising the reliability and potential of these cutting-edge monitoring methodologies.
