Mitigation of geohazard risk along transportation infrastructures with optical fiber distributed sensing

The Geotechnical Monitoring System (GTMS) based on Distributed Temperature and Strain Sensing has been used for more than 15 years to mitigate geohazards along pipeline-crossing regions as distinct as tropical mountain ranges and the far north. The gained experience can be extended to similar infrastructures such as highways, railways, power cables or waterways. The present work reviews the optical fiber technology, the challenges and outcomes of the monitoring. It also draws a general applicable methodology. Different cases are reviewed, demonstrating the variety of geohazards that can be detected at an early stage.