Assessment of shear zone depth using acoustic emission technology for landslide hazard mitigation

Abstract Accurate evaluation of the shear zone depths is critical for landslide hazard assessment and mitigating the risks to infrastructure and humans. This study evaluates an innovative approach of acoustic emission (AE) technology for identifying the slope shear zones and precisely measuring their depths. Linear AE source localization approach, based on the time difference of arrival of AE signals at meticulously placed AE sensors on active waveguide system (AWS) has been instrumentalized to detect the shear zones. A comprehensive three-phase validation has been conducted to verify the approach’s accuracy. Initially, pencil lead break test was performed on bare waveguide to localize the source of AE. Subsequently, pointed loads from universal testing machine were subjected to AWS at different locations and AE source was located. The final phase involved soil shear test apparatus to produce real-time soil shear movements and locate the depth of soil shear zone. The results consistently demonstrated AE’s capacity to precisely identify the depth of fault sources across all methodologies. This study highlights the efficacy of AE-based monitoring and emphasizes the importance of integrating AE data into advanced landslide monitoring systems for improved hazard mitigation strategies.