Strategies for improved levee knowledge: integrating traditional and novel monitoring technologies

In spite of the recent advancements in geotechnical and hydraulic engineering, the recurrent challenge of seepage-induced levee collapses persists. Conventional levee investigations encompass visual inspections, execution of boreholes and in-situ tests, and the use of devices such as piezometers and tensiometers. However, these methods are often constrained by their limited spatial resolution. This study delves into the forefront of embankment monitoring, specifically investigating the application of distributed fiber optical sensors (DFOS) for the measurement of temperature variations. The case study here presented elucidates the monitoring of an embankment along the Adige River in EGNA (BZ), which recently experienced a substantial flood event. The recorded data serves a dual purpose: advancing our understanding of the hydraulic behavior and stability conditions of this section of levees and evaluating the reliability and potential of these state-of-the-art monitoring techniques.