Integrated multi-sensor geomatic methodologies for slope stability analysis and monitoring

Slope instability represents a major hazard affecting natural, built environments and culturally significant sites, the study of which requires integrated and multidisciplinary approaches. This PhD research focuses on the development and application of multi-sensor geomatic methodologies for slope stability analysis and monitoring, with the objective of improving hazard assessment and supporting heritage conservation. The study is based on three case studies characterized by different geological and engineering-geological conditions: the Grotta Paglicci cave system (Italy), the Vecchiano rock slope (Italy), and the Sabereebi rock-cut Monastic Complex (Georgia). These sites include both jointed carbonate rock masses and weak sedimentary formations, requiring different investigation strategies and modelling approaches. A multi-sensor framework is implemented, integrating Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), UAV photogrammetry, SLAM-based LiDAR, Robotic Total Station (RTS), GNSS surveying, and Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI). These techniques enable high-resolution three-dimensional reconstruction, structural characterization, stability analysis, and multi-temporal monitoring of slope deformation. Engineering–geological surveys and empirical rock mass classification systems (RMR, SMR, Q-Slope) are used to compute geomechanical parameters, particularly where direct laboratory testing is limited. Slope stability is assessed through a combination of kinematic analysis, limit equilibrium methods, and numerical modelling. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations are applied as interpretative tools to integrate field observations and monitoring data, allowing the analysis of stress distribution, deformation patterns, and potential failure mechanisms. The proposed approach provides a transferable methodological framework for slope stability analysis, with applications in both geohazard assessment and the conservation of vulnerable cultural heritage sites.