Find the bump in the road

Find the bump in the road

Network coverage

The conventional method of visually monitoring and assessing the susceptibility of extensive road networks to geohazards, like slope instability, poses inherent challenges – being slow, costly, subjective, and potentially hazardous. In a pioneering initiative, we conducted a pilot study focussing on the Cyprus road network, employing InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) analysis to revolutionise hazard identification.

This innovative approach enabled us to rapidly and objectively pinpoint several geohazards across the road network. Notably, at Petra tou Romiou, where persistent road cracking issues had defied resolution through repeated pavement resurfacing, InSAR analysis offered a breakthrough. By identifying larger scale mass movements as the root cause of the road cracking, InSAR provided a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. Subsequently, this insight led to the implementation of measures aimed at addressing the underlying geohazard, ensuring a more enduring and effective solution.

Highlight

  • Network-wide visual geohazard susceptibility surveys are slow, subjective and potentially dangerous. 

  • A network-wide InSAR analysis and landslide susceptibility mapping in GIS quickly pinpointed the most susceptible locations. 

  • Greater insight was gained at one location of repeated pavement resurfacing that led to a more permanent solution.