Multi-pronged approach for monitoring sedimentation processes at multi-barrel culverts

Abstract

This paper describes a case study that employs an in-situ methodology for monitoring sedimentation processes at a multi-barrel culvert site. This area is seldom discussed in the scientific and engineering literature. The methodology integrates ground and aerial surveys from Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and drone-based photogrammetry, with traditional hydro-geomorphological monitoring techniques (e.g., on-site photography, webcams, soil coring, and in-stream measurements) to acquire data continuously or for specific weather events. The paper focuses on presenting how experimental methods and their associated protocols can be assembled to complement each other to enable a comprehensive and detailed investigation of culvert sedimentation processes. The investigation entails the inception of the sediment deposits in the culvert vicinity and the progression of the depositional pattern over time (e.g., individual storms, seasons, and annual cycles). The data and information produced by our combined observational system lead to practical insights regarding the interplay between local hydraulic and geomorphological variables, which can be otherwise difficult to obtain. A automated data processing technique is applied in this study to automatically connect aerial photogrammetry results with the RTK-based ground survey to improve the accuracy of the monitoring.