Country-scale InSAR monitoring for settlement and uplift damage calculation in architectural heritage structures

Abstract

The article proposes a methodology for assessing the development of damage in building structures, subjected to differential settlement and uplift, using the analysis of Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data. The proposed methodology is targeted towards general applicability, capable of providing assessment results for measurements over wide geographic areas and for varying structural typologies. The methodology is not limited to ground movement measurements linked to tunnelling, as is the common case. Instead it extends to the monitoring of arbitrary movement in buildings, for example, due to ground consolidation, water table changes or excavation. The methodology is designed for use alongside patrimonial building databases, from which data on individual building geometry and typology are extracted on a region or country scale. Ground movement monitoring data are used for the calculation of the building deformation, expressed in different types of deformation parameters. The combined use of this data with analytical models for settlement damage classification in building structures enables the assessment in patrimonial building structures, at a country scale. The methodology is elaborated and applied on the patrimonial inventory of Belgium for the evaluation of potential settlement and uplift damage on buildings over a period of nearly three decades. The analysis results are compared to on-site observations.

Potential of remote sensing data to support the seismic safety assessment of reinforced concrete buildings affected by slow-moving landslides

“…Many methodologies and applications regarding the seismic assessment of existing RC buildings can be found in the national and international literature, aiming to investigate the different problematic aspects of this task, such as the choice of the proper modeling strategy and analysis methodology [1][2][3][4][5] and the consideration of the different source of uncertainties in the modeling phase [6][7][8]. Moreover, different studies evaluate the structural damage in the existing RC structures as consequence of displacements induced by landslides [9][10][11][12][13] or other hazard sources, such as subsidence [14,15], ground consolidation [16], mining activities [17], excavations [18], and variations in the temperature distribution in the structural elements [19], monitored through satellite data for consistent time intervals. In fact, all the mentioned hazard sources induce displacements quite slow in time in the existing buildings, which can be easily monitored through remote sensing techniques.…”

“…Fig 16. Comparison of the curves and relative failure mechanism progress of structural elements, until the demand point, in the EQ and LAN + EQ scenarios: mass X (a), mode X (b), mass Y (c), and mode Y (d)…”

The use of satellite data to support the structural health monitoring in areas affected by slow-moving landslides: a potential application to reinforced concrete buildings

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Applications affecting the evaluation of a possible structural damage of exposed elements through satellite data, however, are very few. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] In this work, an RC-infilled building, located in Campania Region, South of Italy, has been used as case study. DInSAR deformation data, obtained from the processing of ascending and descending COSMO-SkyMed images, for the period 2012-2016, have been used to detect surface ground movement applied to building foundations.…”

On the integration of multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar interferometry products and historical surveys data for buildings structural monitoring

“…In [7] an overview of the results of diagnostic and monitoring activities carried out through satellite radar interferometry and in-situ measurements of two historic buildings is reported. Drougkas et al [8] proposed a methodology for assessing the development of damage in building structures subjected to differential settlement and uplift. More recently, Cusson et al [9] proposed the use of radar satellite data as an early warning system for the detection of unexpected bridge displacements and a decision-support tool.…”