SGG Lunch Presentation: Implementing UAVs in Geotechnical Practice

Abstract: 

Geohazard monitoring technologies continue to evolve, enabling users to enhance the frequency, repeatability, accuracy, and coverage of displacement measurements. In geotechnical practice, remote sensing methods have become integral to routine geohazard monitoring programs. These methods include technologies such as Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry. These technologies facilitate data collection over large areas with high spatial resolution, providing broader insights compared to measuring at discrete locations. When combined with advanced computational software, these instruments have become invaluable tools for improving the inspection and assessment of geohazards.

Slope instabilities near transportation corridors necessitate timely and accurate evaluations to assess risks to road users, particularly during weather changes that may trigger these instabilities. Recent advancements in UAV technology offer a quick and safe method for capturing detailed photographic and video records of slope conditions. By utilizing UAV data and photogrammetry techniques, engineers can conduct precise assessments of slope instabilities remotely, safely, and efficiently. In recent years, KCB has successfully employed UAV technologies to evaluate various geohazards affecting transportation corridors in Alberta.

This presentation will discuss our experiences and the processing techniques used to implement and interpret ground surface data obtained from UAV technology in geotechnical practice.

Bio:

Dr. Jorge Rodriguez has over 13 years of experience as a geotechnical engineer. He completed his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering in 2009 at the School of Engineering of Antioquia in Colombia. After graduating, Jorge began his career at a consulting engineering firm, where he worked on slope stability design for soil and rock, as well as site investigations.

In 2012, Jorge moved to Canada to pursue a Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Alberta, where his research focused on numerical modeling of unsaturated waste rock. Following the completion of his M.Sc., he continued his studies and pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Alberta, which concentrated on the application of cost-effective monitoring technologies for landslides, including low-cost UAVs (drones) and single-frequency dGPS. During his research, Jorge collaborated with organizations such as the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), KCB, and Stantec to implement networks of single-frequency dGPS for monitoring various landslides in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta. His research has been presented and published in different national and international conferences and journals.

After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2021, Jorge joined KCB in Edmonton, where he has worked on a variety of projects in the civil and mining industries. His primary focus as a geotechnical engineer in Alberta has been on geohazards for the Alberta Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors. In these projects, he has continued to utilize UAVs to inspect and assess landslides, as well as implement networks of single-frequency dGPS to monitor landslides affecting highways in Alberta. Additionally, Jorge has maintained his collaboration with the University of Alberta Geotechnical Center on the development and evaluation of monitoring technologies for landslides, as part of a geohazard research program established between KCB, TEC, and the University of Alberta.