Optical Fiber Technology for Monitoring of Slope Movement in Open Cast Mine: Field Application

The slopes should be systematically monitored to identify any failure well in advance in open cast mines. An early warning system may prevent the loss of many human lives and property. From long back, various monitoring instrument such as inclinometers, tilt meters, extensometers, and radar systems have been applied to monitor slope movement. There are numerous advantages and limitations of all these techniques. The optical fiber sensor (OFS) technology was investigated for civil structure health monitoring. The OFS is suitable for monitoring of temperature, strain in long distance. However, mining applications for monitoring slope movement are still not so popular. Finding suitable installation techniques is one of the reasons for this. This paper reviews the various monitoring systems practiced in open cast mines and details of the OFS technology including the working principle, its advantages and limitations. Various installation techniques have been discussed including field trials in an Indian open cast mine.