A Novel Method for Integrity Assessment of Soil-Nailing Works with Actively Heated Fiber-Optic Sensors
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 8
Abstract
Soil nailing has become a common method for improving slope stability due to its cost-effectiveness and easy installation. However, concerns have been arisen regarding the quality and integrity of soil nailing works. This study proposed a novel method for soil nail integrity assessment using an actively heated fiber-optic (AHFO) sensor. First, numerical simulations were conducted to determine the thermal conductivity profiles of soil nails with various defects, measured using AHFO. By establishing the relationship between defects and thermal conductivity profiles, the material and severity of soil nail defects can be estimated. It was found that the thermal conductivity profiles obtained by the AHFO sensor accurately correspond to defect locations, and the entrained material and severity of defects in the section can be identified for defects with a length exceeding 0.1 m. Physical model tests were performed to further validate the feasibility of the proposed quantitative soil nail integrity testing method. This paper also provides recommendations for heating parameters and testing processes to facilitate the implementation of this method by potential users.
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Data Availability Statement
All experimental data and numerical results that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The Open Research Project Programme of the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, University of Macau [Ref. No. SKL-IoTSC (UM)-2021-2023/ORPF/A19/2022] and the General Research Fund project (No. 15214722) from Research Grants Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government of China are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge the financial support from grants (BD88) from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 8 • August 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 23, 2023
Accepted: Mar 1, 2024
Published online: Jun 4, 2024
Published in print: Aug 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Nov 4, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Defects and imperfections
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Equipment and machinery
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Materials characterization
- Materials engineering
- Models (by type)
- Numerical models
- Probe instruments
- Retaining structures
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil nailing
- Soil stabilization
- Soil tests
- Tests (by type)
- Thermal properties
- Thermodynamics
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