High-Resolution Monitoring of Scour Using a Novel Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing Device: A Proof-of-Concept Laboratory Study

Abstract

Scour events can severely change the characteristics of streams and impose detrimental hazards on any structures built on them. The development of robust and accurate devices to monitor scour is therefore essential for studying and developing mitigation strategies for these adverse consequences. This technical note introduces a novel scour-monitoring device that utilizes new advances in the fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) technology. The novel FO-DTS scour-monitoring device utilizes the differential thermal responses of sediment, water, and air media to a heating event to accurately identify the locations of the interfaces between them. The performance of the device was tested in a laboratory flume under flow conditions with water velocities ranging from 0 m/s to 0.16 m/s. In addition, the effect of the measurement duration on the device’s measurement accuracy was also investigated. The FO-DTS scour-monitoring device managed to detect the sediment–water and water–air interfaces with average absolute errors of 1.60 cm and 0.63 cm, respectively. A measurement duration of fewer than 238 s was sufficient to obtain stable measurements of the locations of the sediment–water and water–air interfaces for all the tested flow conditions.

Streambank Erosion Phenomena and Understanding: Current Research and Future Directions

“…Since the newly developed SMS is limited in the area it can monitor, new methods are needed to monitor streambank erosion and deposition over a large area, at both low and high flows. Hatley et al (2023) utilized new advances in fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing to develop a device capable of tracking the water-sediment interface at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The use of root dendrogeomorphology has also emerged as a bio-inspired and cost-effective monitoring technique, although its application is constrained by the availability of roots along the streambank face and the time scale associated with predictions (annual) (Dick et al, 2014).…”

Using Distributed Temperature Sensing for Long-Term Monitoring of Pockmark Activity in the Gulf of Patras (Greece): Data Processing Hints and Preliminary Findings

“…Since then, DTS has been implemented in various environmental settings. It has been successfully employed in monitoring lake surface temperatures [9], ground surface temperature variations [10], permafrost distribution in mountains [11], volcanoes [12], scour events [13], and hydrologic systems [14]. In addition to DTS, optic fiber technology is employed in Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), which is utilized for recording earthquake waves and other seismic signals (e.g., [15][16][17]).…”

A Review of Vibration-Based Scour Diagnosis Methods for Bridge Foundation

“…Some equipment used to detect scour condition, includes Remote Operated Vehicle, Time Domain Reflectometer, Image Sonar, Magnetic Rock, Ground Penetrating Radars, Fiber Bragg grating sensor, etc. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33], whose operational principles are stated in the literature [34]. However, most of these equipment requires professional personnel to install and operate underwater, which is inefficient and costly.…”