Ground infrastructure monitoring in coastal areas using time-series inSAR technology: the case study of Pudong International Airport, Shanghai

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PDIA), with its east side built along the coast with weak geological conditions, is prone to uneven foundation settlement due to the consolidation and compression of soil and erosion of coastal tides, affecting the safe operation of the airport. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct dynamic subsidence monitoring within the airport, especially in the runway area. 29 scenes of ascending track Sentinel-1A radar images from August 2016 to June 2018 are selected to perform surface deformation inversion based on PS-InSAR and improved SBAS-InSAR for PDIA and its around coastal area. Through cross-validation, the reliability of the time-series InSAR technique for dynamic monitoring of surface deformation of coastal zone infrastructures is confirmed. The results show severely uneven settlement. By combining the monitoring results with the local geological and hydrological dataset, the driving factors of differential deformation of the infrastructures are analyzed, including stratigraphic geological conditions, ground loadings, foundation treatment methods, water erosion, and groundwater level changes. Finally, the time-series deformation characteristics and the causes of PDIA's runway are emphasized based on the PS deformation results. This case provides a reference for the safety management of critical infrastructure in coastal areas using advanced InSAR technique.

Automated summary

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PDIA) is prone to uneven foundation settlement due to weak geological conditions, which affects its safe operation. Therefore, dynamic subsidence monitoring, especially in the runway area, is crucial. In this study, surface deformation inversion based on PS-InSAR and improved SBAS-InSAR techniques was conducted using radar images from August 2016 to June 2018. The results confirmed the reliability of time-series InSAR technique for monitoring surface deformation in coastal zone infrastructures.