In the last two decades, Brillouin distributed fiber-optic sensing has became a widely accepted, mature technology. On the other hand, geotechnical monitoring applications of this technology are still rare, as the fragile fiberoptic and the harsh soil environment are a difficult combination. Additionally, due to high uncertainties in soil behavior, deeper understanding of geomechanical principles is necessary in order to achieve meaningful results when using these sensors.
In this study, novel applications of distributed fiber-optic sensing in geotechnical engineering were identified, developed, implemented and evaluated.