Evaluation of Effectiveness of Slope Stabilization Using Monitoring Techniques: An Application in Northern Italy-Paper

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The paper describes monitoring-guided stabilization of a large road embankment in northern Italy, built on a fractured, partly unstable Flysch slope. After intense rainfall in 2012, major ground movements and wide pavement cracks developed, despite earlier reinforcement with a piled concrete slab and prestressed anchors. The road and junction were closed.<br /><br />A new stabilization program combined piled and anchored structures, retaining works, and surface and subsurface drainage. To track safety and evaluate each measure, the project used 17 inclinometers, piezometers, extensometers, anchor load cells, and continuous terrestrial synthetic aperture radar interferometry (TinSAR). TinSAR provided remote, frequent measurements of surface movement, which were compared with inclinometer readings and rainfall data. The two displacement-monitoring methods showed strong agreement over nearly two years.<br /><br />Monitoring began before construction and tracked the slope through successive work stages. Movements were evident initially, but declined as the new piles and anchors were installed, including during a period of heavy autumn rainfall. By 2014, when construction was nearly complete, no further slope displacements or renewed cracking were recorded, and anchor loads showed no anomalous behavior.<br /><br />The observed improvement allowed engineers to revise the original design: a planned extension of the mid-slope piled and anchored slab was omitted, reducing costs and helping speed the road’s reopening. The authors conclude that combining conventional instruments with TinSAR supported early warning, real-time assessment of construction effectiveness, and adaptive design. They also emphasize TinSAR’s potential for long-term infrastructure surveillance, particularly where in-place instruments may deteriorate or become unusable.

Keywords

road embankment

TinSAR

slope stabilization

inclinometers

piezometers

anchor load cells

ground movement

rainfall monitoring

Flysch slope

infrastructure surveillance