A real-time seismic and displacement monitoring system for rock instability assessment — case studies in the French Alps

doi:10.36487/ACG_rep/1604_42_Mourot

Authors: Mourot, P

Paper is not available for download
Contact Us

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1604_42_Mourot

Cite As:
Mourot, P 2016, 'A real-time seismic and displacement monitoring system for rock instability assessment — case studies in the French Alps', in PM Dight (ed.), APSSIM 2016: Proceedings of the First Asia Pacific Slope Stability in Mining Conference, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 629-637, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1604_42_Mourot

Download citation as: ris bibtex endnote text Zotero

Abstract:
Cliff instabilities are a common problem for the local authorities in the French Alps, significantly affecting the local economy. When the implementation of protection against rockfalls is not a comprehensive solution, an early warning system remains an important alternative to monitor unstable rocks and to evaluate the safety of hazardous areas. Several instrumentation systems have been implement in the French Alps where the danger is resultant from the construction or improvement of roads, railway lines and buildings near steep slopes or cliffs. Some cases, when monitoring can be performed in real time, instrumentation becomes a key element for the authorities to take important safety decision. Indeed, the instant prediction of rockfall incidents can significantly help the local authorities to take all the necessary safety measures to manage the traffic congestion. The classic and most common method of monitoring cliffs is to follow the surface movements using displacement measurement sensors such as crackmeters, EDM or radar. The monitoring of internal deformation in a rock mass is a difficult variable to apprehend. The seismic noise methodology can meet that need and provide structure information to develop a full three-dimensional model of rock mass deformation. This paper presents a multi-sensor system that has been developed to provide a continuous acquisition of relevant parameters for monitoring the stability of rock masses. This self-contained device is capable of continuously measuring and storing high and low frequency data generated by different types of sensor over long periods (several months). This monitoring system has been installed on several sites in France. Two sites in the South of France, where this device has allowed monitoring of unstable cliffs for different purposes, are presented in this paper. For these two projects, it was seen that seismic and displacement measurements of the rock complement one another. Also shown are the first results of the seismic noise monitoring of the unstable cliff of Mont Bataille. In addition to the microseismic monitoring, the resonant frequencies of the unstable rock mass provide very useful information to evaluate the rock collapse.

Keywords: rockfall monitoring system, seismic noise

References:

Amitrano, D, Grasso, J-R & Senfaute, G 2005, ‘Seismic precursory patterns before a cliff collapse and critical point phenomena’, Geophysical Research Letters, L08314, vol. 32, no. 8.

Azimi, C & Desvarreux, P 1996, ‘Quelques aspects de la prévision des mouvements de terrains’, Revue française de géotechnique, vol. 76, pp. 63–71.

Bottelin, P, Jongmans, D, Baillet, L, Lebourg, T, Hantz, D, Lévy, C, Le Roux, O, Cadet, H, Lorier, L, Rouiller, J-D, Turpin, J & Darras, L 2013, ‘Spectral Analysis of Prone-to-fall Rock Compartments using Ambient Vibrations’, Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics, vol. 18, pp. 205–217.

Brückl, E & Parotidis, M 2005, ‘Prediction of slope instabilities due to deep-seated gravitational creep’, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, vol. 5, pp 155–172.

Brunner, FK, Hartinger, H & Richter, B 2000, ‘Continuous monitoring of landslides using GPS: a progress report’, in SJ Bauer & F Weber (eds), Geophysical Aspects of Mass Movements, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, pp. 51–60.

Burjánek, J, Moore, JR, Yugsi Molina, FX & Fäh, D 2012, ‘Instrumental evidence of normal mode rock slope vibration’, Geophysical Journal International, vol. 188, no. 2, pp. 559–569.

Eberhardt, E, Spillmann, T, Maurer, H, Willenberg, H, Loew, S & Stead, D 2004, ‘The Randa Rockslide Laboratory: Establishing brittle and ductile instability mechanisms using numerical modelling and microseismicity’, in W Lacerda (ed.), Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Landslides, Rio de Janeiro, pp. 481–487.

Effendiantz, L & Rochet, L 2000, ‘Suivi d’une instabilité rocheuse jusqu’à l’éboulement, Commune de La Perrière (Savoie)’, Bulletin de Liaison des Laboratoire des Ponts et Chaussées, no. 226, pp. 47–56.

Got, J‐L, Mourot, P & Grangeon, J 2010, ‘Pre‐failure behaviour of an unstable limestone cliff from displacement and seismic data’, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, vol. 10, pp. 819–829.

Kolesnikov, YuI, Nemirovich-Danchenko, MM, Goldin, SV & Seleznev, VS 2003, ‘Slope stability monitoring from microseismic field using polarization methodology’, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, vol. 3, pp. 515–521.

Lévy, C, Baillet, L, Jongmans, D, Mourot, P & Hantz, D 2010, ‘Dynamic response of the Chamousset rock column (Western Alps, France)’, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 115, p. 13.

Mayer, H & Siegel, A 2000, ‘Monitoring slope motion and surface deformation by means of radar interferometry’, in SJ Bauer & F Weber, Geophysical Aspects of Mass Movements, Austrian Academy of Sciences, pp. 75–88.

Roth, M, Dietrich, M, Blikra, LH & Lecomte, I 2005, ‘Seismic monitoring of the unstable rock slope site at Aknes, Norway’, in 19th Annual Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems (SAGEEP), Seattle.

Senfaute, G, Duperret, A & Lawrence, JA 2009, ‘Micro-seismic precursory cracks prior to rock-fall on coastal chalk cliffs: a case study at Mesnil-Val, Normandie, NW France’, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, vol. 9, pp. 1625–1641.

Senfaute, G, Merrien-Soukatchoff, V, Morel, J & Gourry, J-C 2003, ‘Microseismic monitoring applied to prediction of chalk cliff collapses and contribution of numerical modelling’, in Planning and Management on Fast Slope Movements – Prediction and Prevention for Risk Mitigation, Proceeding of the International Conference Instability, Naples, pp. 463–468.

Spillmann, T, Maurer, H, Green, AG, Heincke, B, Willenberg, H & Husen, S 2007, ‘Microseismic investigation of an unstable mountain slope in the Swiss Alps’, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 112.

Voight, B 1988, ‘Material science law applies to time forecast of slope failure’, Landslides news, 3.

Willenberg, H, Spillmann, T, Eberhardt, E, Evans, KF, Loew, S & Maurer, H 2002, ‘Multidisciplinary monitoring of progressive failure processes in brittle rock slopes – Concepts and system design’, in J Rybar, J Stemberk & P Wagner, Landslides, Proceedings of the 1st European Conference on Landslides, Prague, pp. 477–483.

Willenberg, H, Loew, S, Eberhardt, E, Evans, KF, Spillmann, T, Heincke, B, Maurer, H & Green, AG 2008, ‘Internal structure and deformation of an unstable crystalline rock mass above Randa (Switzerland)’, Engineering Geology, 101(1–2), pp. 15–32.

Zvelebil, J & Moser, M 2001, ‘Monitored based time-prediction of rock falls: Three case histories’, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part B, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 159–167.

© Copyright 2024, Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG), The University of Western Australia. All rights reserved.
View copyright/legal information
Please direct any queries or error reports to repository-acg@uwa.edu.au