ALERT: A FULLY AUTOMATED REAL TIME MONITORING SYSTEM

Abstract

The stability of steep embankments is a major safety issue in open pit mining, highway passes, and earth filled dams. Robotic total stations (RTS) give one possible cost effective solution to creating a near real time monitoring system. A software system, ALERT, developed at the Canadian Centre for Geodetic Engineering at the University of New Brunswick satisfies these requirements for a fully automated monitoring system. ALERT has been designed as a robust monitoring system that can be installed in remote areas and requires no on site operator intervention. The scheduling of cycles can be altered and raw data and results accessed off site through internet connections. The effect of unstable reference stations and RTSs are eliminated by applying an iterative weighted similarity transformation. In situations where suitable quantities of stable reference stations are unavailable, GPS sensors can be utilized to monitor and update the position of the RTSs directly. The ALERT system has been successfully installed in applications requiring the near real time monitoring of earth filled dams at a water reservoir in California and steep pit walls in a large open pit copper mine in British Columbia. 1.