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Geotechnical monitoring

Monitoring movement in soil and earthworks structures

Achieve reliable safety across earthworks, excavations, foundations and underground construction with advanced geotechnical monitoring. Ground movements are unavoidable during the construction of tunnels, deep foundations and other subsurface structures. Installing geotechnical sensors enables engineers to track these movements, control geotechnical risks and improve the design and performance of underground works.

Sensors deployed during construction can remain in place for long‑term monitoring of slopes, cuttings and embankments. They also support the observation of natural soil behaviours such as settlement, landslips and ground instability. The data collected helps engineers diagnose failures and develop effective remedial solutions to stabilise the ground and prevent future issues.

Installed at the surface or below ground, geotechnical sensors can measure:

  • Groundwater levels
  • Soil deformation including settlement, heave and slip
  • Stress variations within the soil

Installing geotechnical sensors allows you to:

Control the geotechnical risks associated with your special foundation works and subsurface structures

Effectively managing geotechnical risks begins with understanding how the ground behaves during and after construction. By accurately interpreting soil responses, engineers can:

  • Compare actual ground deformations with design predictions
  • Optimise the sizing and performance of underground structures
  • Detect and manage geotechnical hazards such as landslips
  • Monitor long‑term changes in soil conditions within embankments, cuttings and other earthworks

This insight enables safer, more reliable design decisions and supports long‑term stability across all types of special foundation works and subsurface structures.

Deformation and strain measurements

Ground deformation sensors

  • Borehole extensometers deliver millimetric measurements of relative displacement between anchor points along the installation axis. They can be installed vertically, horizontally, inclined, or even inverted when required. For larger deformation ranges, borehole settlement gauges offer a more economical alternative with lower accuracy.
  • Inclinometers provide precise monitoring of lateral ground movement when installed vertically and can also be positioned horizontally to measure settlement profiles. Additional instruments designed for embankment monitoring—often grouped under the term embankment settlement meters—are used to track long‑term vertical movement within earth structures.
  • To assess soil stress conditions, Earth Pressure Cells are commonly deployed, offering reliable measurement of stress variations within the ground.

Measurement of sub-surface water levels and pore pressures

Sensors to measure sub-surface water levels (piezometric sensors) and interstitial pressure (Interstitial Pressure Cells or IPCs)

  • Piezometric sensors provide reliable measurements of groundwater levels and are valued for their simplicity, low cost and ease of installation. They can be read manually or integrated with automated datalogging systems for continuous monitoring.
  • Interstitial Pressure Cells (IPCs) offer precise measurement of pore water pressure at predefined depths, delivering essential insights into how soil responds to loading and environmental changes. These measurements help engineers assess ground behaviour, evaluate stability and support safe geotechnical design and construction.

Cyclops

Automated 3D topographic monitoring of structures and surfaces

Cyclops™ is Sixense’s world leading automated topographic measurement solution and provides:

  • remote, automatic, 3D movement measurement with sub-millimetric accuracy
  • Multi‑theodolite grouping in globally unstable areas for enhanced reading stability and repeatability

Find out more about our Cyclops solution

4DBloc

GNSS-based deformation sensor

4DBloc is a GNSS sensor for real-time monitoring of ground or structure deformations.

The 4DBloc system provides:

  • An accurate and robust monitoring solution suitable for a wide range of scenarios to track soil and structural movement
  • Real‑time deformation measurement, with enhanced resolution through aggregated data processing

Find out more about our 4DBloc sensor

4DSkin

Synthetic aperture radar

Our 4DSkin solution enables high‑frequency, non‑contact deformation measurements over large areas—up to several kilometres—while maintaining exceptional accuracy of approximately 0.2 mm. This makes it ideal for monitoring wide zones where traditional sensors cannot be installed or where continuous surface coverage is required.

Find out more about our 4DSkin sensor

4DShape

3D continuous linear inclinometer

4DShape is an integrated solution that uses a flexible chain of 3D inclinometers to track relative movement along vertical, horizontal or converging profiles in soils and on structures.

Find our more about our 4DShape solution

The added benefits of using our geotechnical monitoring

Cutting-edge expertise

from a programme of continuous development over nearly three decades of experience and in-house development in the construction industry

The availability of dedicated local teams

by utilising an extensive global network of experienced and qualified technicians, engineers, project managers and data engineers

A turnkey service

from technical guidance at project inception to management of processed data during, and even beyond the construction phase

A culture of innovation

A commitment to continual development and improvement of solutions more closely aligned with the practical challenges of our clients

A proactive maintenance programme

delivered to ensure optimal data quality as part of our commitment to providing accurate and reliable monitoring information

Examples of applications for geotechnical sensors

Urban works

Urban works

Download Document Urban works
Urban excavation

Urban excavation

Download Document Urban excavation
Landslide

Landslide

Download Document Landslide
Mine

Mine

Download Document Mine
Buried pipes

Buried pipes

Download Document Buried pipes