Abstract
Since the 2000s, geotechnical monitoring systems have gone from largely manually collected data to fully automated systems. Progress in microprocessor power, storage and battery technology have led to the development of battery-powered IoT enabled data logger systems. In order to fully realize the potential new automated data acquisition systems, software has continuously evolved from barebones spreadsheet and ledgers to fully integrated databases and modeling systems. In this paper, we compare several leading monitoring software used in the mining industry, drawing from projects with several mining operators across Canada with a specific focus on tailings storage facilities. Through this comparative study, the trends, common features and blind spots will be discussed. For instance, there has been an increase by instrument and logger manufacturers to rely on proprietary APIs to distribute readings through manufacturer-owened servers, creating an additional hurdle to be addressed by software developers. Moreover, it can be difficult to integrate and run comparative analysis on data sources that were developed in separate fields. A modern geotechnical monitoring plan may include integrate seismic monitoring, piezometer data, INSAR data and weather data, which would each require its own software package. Analysis and recommendations will be provided regarding what the current generation of software does well and where it should to go fulfill new and growing demands of the market. The current limitations of software and hardware compatibility make it clear that standardization will be required for geotechnical monitoring systems to fulfill their potential.