Surface-Mounted Tilt Sensor Using Fiber Bragg Grating Technology for Engineered Slope Monitoring With Temperature Compensation

A surface-mounted tilt sensor was designed and fabricated to measure the inclination angle of engineered structures or slopes in two directions. The device utilizes two strain-sensitive fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) for tilt angle measurement bidirectionally and one strain-free FBG to provide temperature compensation. In this work, a tilt sensor prototype was fabricated using a 3-D printer, with a robust enclosure and a miniature actuator with dimensions of 115 x 65 x 30 mm and 45 x 20 x 3 mm, respectively. The device was first calibrated in the laboratory for tilt and temperature parameters. For tilt calibration, the device yields a sensitivity value of 0.0135 and 0.0123 nm/. for +x- and -x-directions. On the other hand, the device delivers a sensitivity value of 0.0105 nm/.C as the response to temperature changes. The tilt sensor was also tested for suitability in a real-field deployment where it was installed on a retaining wall and was left for four weeks. The field test data indicate no vertical displacement of the wall since the device exhibits zero inclination changes during the test period. This compact, robust, and easy-to-install tilt sensor has excellent potential for various geotechnical applications, mainly in landslide detections, ground movement, and engineered slope monitoring.

Automated summary

This article introduces a surface-mounted tilt sensor that is designed to measure the inclination angle of engineered structures or slopes in two directions. The sensor utilizes strain-sensitive fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) for tilt angle measurement bidirectionally and uses a strain-free FBG for temperature compensation. The compact, robust, and easy-to-install tilt sensor shows excellent potential for various geotechnical applications, mainly in landslide detections, ground movement, and engineered slope monitoring, as supported by laboratory calibration and field test data.