An hybrid wireless-wired monitoring system for real-time rock collapse forecasting

Abstract

Rock face collapses are one of the most dangerous and sudden natural risks in mountain environments. Traditional investigation techniques (e.g., strain gauge, inclinometer) cannot guarantee neither a non-invasive monitoring within the rocks nor a prompt alarm in case of possible collapse. Real-time monitoring systems, which might provide an effective evaluation of the dynamics of the phenomenon for a subsequent forecasting phase, generally rely on wired solutions that are unfeasible in environmental monitoring applications. In this paper, we present a real-time monitoring system for the rock collapse forecasting that exploits MEMS accelerometers and geophones (in addition to traditional sensors) for a non-invasive detection of micro-acoustic bursts associated with the formation and the evolution of the cracks within the rocks. The proposed monitoring system relies on an hybrid wireless-wired architecture that allows for detecting and localizing micro-acoustic emissions in real-time yet maintaining an high energy-efficiency by means of effective energy management policies and sophisticated energy harvesting mechanisms. The deployment area is the St. Martin mountain that dangerously insists on the town of Lecco (Italy).