Practical challenges in designing monitoring systems in rock masses: From parameters selection to data elaboration and management

Rock engineering operations, encompassing underground constructions, mining activities, and rock slope excavation, induce significant environmental changes, impacting the long-term behavior of rock masses. To address this, comprehensive monitoring is crucial for enhancing understanding, ensuring construction and operational safety, validating design assumptions, and evaluating the need for risk mitigation. Challenges in system design include parameter selection, necessitating a profound comprehension of the subject and potential hazards, as well as awareness of available measurement technologies. Moreover, designing a system for efficient data collection and processing represent another essential aspect to consider, focusing on features such as sensor type, location, data collection frequency, and transmission/storage methods. Finally, it is fundamental to address the necessity for an appropriate system for integrating, processing, and managing data, especially crucial for automatic instrumentation with high sampling frequencies. Implementing visualization platforms ensures accessible and well-organized data, serving as a reliable tool for decision-making processes.