New Micromotion and Vibration Monitoring System

The development of the tilting sensor for slope monitoring in Chapter 7 was followed by inexpensive MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) accelerometers, for which the inexpensive sensing at multiple points has always been the goal. The quality of this accelerometer has been examined in recent years, and it was found that its accuracy is comparable to that of more expensive accelerometers that have been used in practice. Because of its low cost, the monitoring by this new accelerometer enables detailed capturing of the dynamic behaviour of slopes as well as buildings, with regard to the deterioration of structural members. The recent application of this accelerometer is found in potentially unstable slopes where the weathering may trigger rockfalls and affect the local traffic. The idea is that the accelerometers record microtremors and identify the temporal change of the predominant period of a slope, thereby enabling the evaluation of the decay or weakening of the materials in the slope.