Description
We present the latest works in the design, development, validation and industrial application of geosynthetic materials equipped with integrated fiber-optic sensing cables for distributed strain and temperature measurements. The integration of fiber-optic sensors into geotextiles and geogrids – as they are commonly used in geotechnical construction for soil stability improvement, erosion protection, draining, filtering and other tasks – provides a feasible integration method for the sensors into the structure under monitoring. The one-dimensional characteristic of a longitudinal fiber-optic strain sensor is thereby transformed into a two-dimensional shape sensing plane, providing distributed, uninterrupted information on deformation, sinkholes, slope movements, settlements and many more geotechnical indications on structural failure.