Slope instability processes affecting a geotechnical structure: insights from TInSAR monitoring

Alessandro Brunetti (a) & Paolo Mazzanti (a,b,c)
(a) NHAZCA S.r.l., Spin-off Sapienza University of Rome, Via Cori snc, 00177 Rome, Italy. E-mail: alessandro.brunetti@nhazca.com (b) Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. (c) CERI, Research Center, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.

A road embankment in northern Italy was affected by severe instability problems. Due to the emergence of large cracks on the main roads crossing the structure, the area was closed for security reasons causing a serious impact on the local traffic. In this paper is presented an innovative approach based on Terrestrial SAR Interferometric monitoring for the support to the management of the emergency, the design of stabilization countermeasures and for the control of the slope stability during the stabilization works. Just in a couple of days the system allowed to detect displacements affecting the whole embankment with velocity rates ranging between 5 mm/day and 1 mm/day. Following the emergency phase, TInSAR monitoring allowed to control the stability of the embankment also during the realization of the stabilization works for safety and early warning purposes. A progressive mitigation of the instability phenomenon has been registered up to its overall depletion.

geotechnical structure, landslide monitoring, monitoring network, slope stability, Terrestrial SAR Interferometry.