News

Rock Fall in the Swiss Canton of Ticino: Leica GeoMoS Monitoring-System Saves Human Lives

7 June 2012

(Preonzo/Heerbrugg, 7 June 2012) – During the night of 14 May 300,000 m3 of rock broke off the Valegion mountain and crashed down 1,000 m to the valley floor in the Swiss canton of Ticino, near the village of Preonzo. Thanks in part to Leica Geosystems’ Deformation Monitoring solution GeoMoS local authorities were able to evacuate the valley’s industrial zone and to close the A2 highway and several cantonal roads at an early stage.

The Ticino community Preonzo between Biasca and Bellinzona in the canton Ticino/Switzerland has lived with rock falls for several years. Ten years ago, a huge rock mass slid into the valley. The Cantonal Forestry Office has been watching the danger zone since 1998, and has been relying on automatic monitoring systems from Leica Geosystems AG for the past two years. Cantonal geologist Giorgio Valenti says: "We have regularly experienced small movements over the years, especially in spring time. Since the end of April of this year, the movements measured have increased to several millimeters per hour, which made the safety measures necessary."

Smallest Movements Determined from Precise 3D Data
The automatic monitoring system has provided continuous information about every movement in the affected zone. Two years ago a Leica TM30 Monitoring Sensor was installed on a stable pillar below the slide area and connected to the Leica GeoMoS monitoring system. Since then the sensor has monitored 15 observation points located inside and outside the danger zone every hour, 24/7. The results are automatically forwarded to an FTP server in the Forestry Department and then analyzed by experts.

Michael Rutschmann, Product Manager at Leica Geosystems and technical consultant for this project, also has access to the data: "For years we have been able to track three-dimensional data with millimeter-accuracy in real-time, knowing when movements took place and in which direction. The responsible experts were able to analyze developments and trends, and combined this data with additional information. The complete measurement history is very valuable to the geologists’ further analysis.”

The experts were kept informed by SMS about the movements. As their speed continued to increase, it became clear that the rock would soon break off. 

Geodetic Monitoring Systems Help Save Human Lives
Based on the analysis of Leica GeoMoS and extensometer data, the necessary safety measures could be initiated early. The industrial area at the foot of the mountain, which is important for the local economy in this region, could be evacuated in time. The police also closed cantonal roads and the highway. It could not be predicted if the mass would reach and damage the industrial zone when the one million ton load crashed down to the valley. So far no damage has been recorded, more detailed studies are yet to come.

Current Status and Future Measures
The 70 employees of the six companies in the industrial zone have resumed their work. But even after this event in Preonzo the Leica Geosystems monitoring system will continue to monitor the slope accurately to protect the people. "More observation points will be installed in an extended zone around the fracture area, which will be continuously monitored for their stability", said Michael Rutschmann.
Two years ago the community of Preonzo and the Forestry Office of the Canton Ticino (Sezione Forestale, Cantone Ticino) decided in favor of funding and commissioning an additional Leica Geosystems monitoring system to observe the area around the Valegion.

About Leica Geosystems Monitoring Solutions
Leica Geosystems Monitoring solutions combine geodetic, geotechnical, and meteorological sensors for reliable, precise data acquisition and secure data transmission with advanced processing, sophisticated analysis, and visual representation.

Using standard interfaces, open architectures, and scalable platforms, the solutions are customizable to meet individual requirements – for permanent or temporary installations, for single sites or monitoring networks. Modern technology makes installation easy and allows for reliable and state-of-the-art communication via mobile networks.

Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of experience pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon, Sweden.

 
Agnes Zeiner 
Director Marketing Communications
Leica Geosystems AG 
CH-9435 Heerbrugg 
Switzerland 
 


Tel: +41 71 727 3131
E-Mail: agnes.zeiner@leica-geosystems.com