To overcome the shortcomings of conventional slope monitoring methods, this paper presented an in-place inclinometer based on BOTDR (Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) which was used to obtain the long-term internal deformation in the slope. The installation process of optical fiber sensors and its measuring principle were introduced. The result of analysis indicated that the error in the measured displacement was proportional to the square of the inclinometer length and the precision of the BOTDR instrument, while it was inversely proportional to the diameter of the inclinometer tube. An actual field slope deformation monitoring case was also introduced. The results show that the BOTDR based inclinometer has a good consistency with the traditional inclinometer. It can effectively access the internal deformation of the slope and help to find the position of potential sliding surface accurately. This technology shows a high reliability and practicality in engineering application that will promote deeper research of slope in the future.

Taiwan Strait Tunnel (TST) will be an extra-long tunnel or tunnel-bridge complex, running over 150 km of seafloor geologic body with complicated topographic and geologic units. It is therefore necessary to measure and monitor the strain distribution along the TST. In this article, the Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometer (BOTDR), a newly developed strain measurement and monitoring technology, is introduced, and the feasibility of its application in the strain monitoring for TST is analyzed through the monitoring achievement with BOTDR of a tunnel located in Nanjing City, China. The results indicate that the BOTDR has many unique merits such as distributed measurement, long-distance, real-time, and resistibility for strain monitoring application in a tunnel such as TST. Finally, apreliminary scheme for BOTDR application in TST monitoring is proposed.