Resilience Scanner

Landslide Monitoring System with Robotic Geodetic Equipment

Solution Overview

Tbilisi City Hall installed a monitoring system in three landslide zones in 2016, which was consolidated with an additional monitoring system on Matchavariani Street and nearby slopes.[3] The instrumental observation network was launched to determine the mechanism and intensity of landslides across these large landslide areas.[4] This approach provides accurate measurements of ground movement levels and directions through advanced geodetic equipment deployed across vulnerable slope areas in the capital.[1]

Technical Components

The monitoring infrastructure includes a robotic S9 Trimble apparatus installed in Tbilisi, which provides accurate movement levels and directional data.[1] The system integrates tiltmeters and piezometers to facilitate real-time monitoring of ground movements and pore pressure changes, offering valuable insights into evolving geotechnical conditions.[1] This technical configuration enables continuous instrumental observations across the three large landslide areas where the monitoring network was established.[4]

Implementation Details

Municipal authorities installed the monitoring system in three landslide zones in 2016, which were later consolidated with an additional monitoring system on Matchavariani Street and nearby slopes.[3][5] The Vashlijvari slope landslide zone near Machavariani Street received dedicated monitoring infrastructure from Tbilisi City Hall.[2] The implementation targeted the Vashlijvari-Lisi road section, located on the right bank of Mtkvari valley on the southern slope of the sub-lateral extended and flattened Lisi ridge.[5] The monitored area is bordered by temporarily cut V-shaped ravines and characterized by slope inclinations varying from 10° to 15°.[5] Visual and measurement studies of landslide dynamics from March 1 to March 17, 2021, identified multiple cases of regressive expansion of the landslide body, resulting in most observer GPS points being deformed or already within the landslide body.[5]

Benefits and Impacts

The monitoring network enables determination of the mechanism and intensity of landslides through instrumental observations across the three large landslide areas.[4] Real-time monitoring of ground movements and pore pressure changes provides valuable insights into evolving geotechnical conditions.[1] The robotic S9 Trimble apparatus delivers accurate measurements of movement levels and directions for ongoing assessment.[1]

Climate Adaptation Relevance

This monitoring approach directly addresses landslide risks exacerbated by extreme precipitation events in Tbilisi. The heavy rainfall of June 2015 triggered flash flooding from overflowing riverbanks that claimed 21 lives and resulted in approximately USD 50 million in infrastructure damage, including a large-scale landslide between the villages of Tskneti and Akhaldaba.[3] The monitoring system was installed following these events as part of regulations to prevent building permits in risk areas and the adoption of a flood early warning system.[3]

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