Reinforcement and microseismic monitoring of slopes with a self-sensing smart geosynthetic

Conventional geosynthetics have been extensively employed in slope reinforcement, yet they primarily offer mechanical stabilization without the capability to monitor internal damage within reinforced soil, thereby limiting post-seismic stability assessment. This study employed a sensor-enabled piezoelectric geobelt (SPGB) with dual monitoring and reinforcement functions as a geogrid for soil slope stabilization. By collecting SPGB voltage vibration signals through shake table tests, dynamic slip plane localization and slope stability assessment were achieved. Test results indicate that the peak ground acceleration (PGA) amplification factors at heights of 400 mm and 600 mm for reinforced slopes are significantly lower than those of unreinforced natural soil slopes. At 0.5 g, unreinforced slopes exhibited amplification factors 46.09% and 31.79% higher than those of reinforced slopes, respectively. These findings confirm that the SPGB reinforcement structure significantly suppresses acceleration amplification effects, enhancing the slope’s seismic performance. When SPGBs in high-risk zones experience unstable stress states due to soil disturbance, their voltage signal amplitudes increase dramatically, with both RMS voltage and real-time voltage exceeding 100 mV. This behavior demonstrates that SPGBs enable real-time monitoring of dynamic responses within slopes and serve as effective indicators for assessing soil stability.