Simple Method for DTS/DSS Data Interpretation: An Application to Pipeline Geotechnical Monitoring

Abstract

Geotechnical monitoring based on optical fiber sensor technology has been used over more than a decade to detect hazards than can affect the integrity of pipelines. In particular when these sensors are implemented in the form of distributed temperature and strain sensors, respectively known as DTS and DSS, they provide information about hazard location and spatial extension. In addition, these sensors can capture the speed at which the event developing in particular when implemented as a permanent monitoring solution. So far these sensors were implemented as part of an alarming system detecting events such as landslides, erosion and subsidence. The current work aims at presenting simple method to extract additional information about the hazard such as the amplitude of the soil displacement in the case of landslides and subsidence or dirt cover for erosion. Estimation of stress in soil is also discussed based on the cable strain-stress relation obtained from the sensing cable qualification. The approach is validated by academic works conducted in parallel of the technology development. The method use is then illustrated by its application to field data collected from several events occurred over the past 10 years.