Application of Infrared Thermography for the survey of intensely jointed rock slopes

Abstract

The application of Infrared Thermography is here proposed as a useful tool for the remote survey of intensely jointed rock slopes. Although such a technique is widely used in several scientific fields, its direct application for the evaluation of the degree of fracturing in bare rock masses is still a pioneering methodology. To test and validate its application, two representative rock masses of different lithologies have been chosen in the southern sector of Peloritani Mountains (north-eastern Sicily). Thermal images were taken during three moments of the same day, to study the thermal behavior of the rock under heating and cooling conditions. Results show interesting matches between some geostructural features and thermal outputs, demonstrating the reliability of such a methodology, which can also allow the extension of the survey to portions of the slope that are not directly reachable.