In response to a major tailings dam collapse in the Philippines earlier this year that forced evacuations and devastated homes, a University of Calgary researcher is stepping up efforts to improve mine safety worldwide.
Dr. Susanne Ouellet, a postdoctoral fellow in Earth, Energy, and Environment, has earned the Mitacs Innovation Award for Outstanding Innovation for her work towards developing a monitoring system designed to detect early warning signs in tailings dams, which are earth-fill embankments used to contain mining waste.
Dr. Ouellet’s research uses distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology to transform standard fibre optic cables into a network of sensors. These sensors detect subtle changes in strain, temperature, and seismic activity within the dam structure, allowing geotechnical engineers to receive real-time updates on dam integrity.
“Currently, we can use this technology to understand how the performance of a dam is changing over time,” Ouellet explained. “But what I’m most excited about is integrating it into an operational system that supports data-driven decision-making.”
The DAS technology works by sending laser pulses along fibre optic cables, which then detect strain and temperature variations as light reflects off anomalies in the optical fibre. This data provides precise insight into internal structural changes that may signal potential failure, enabling proactive responses to stabilize the dam.
Dr. Ouellet’s research builds on her previous work studying landslide mechanisms, using DAS to identify new patterns in slope instability that also apply to tailings dams.
Her innovative approach has garnered attention not only from Mitacs but also from several industry partners, including BGC Engineering in Vancouver and Luna OptaSense in Virginia, who collaborated on a pilot project in Saskatchewan. Additionally, a critical dataset from the British Geological Survey facilitated breakthroughs in understanding slope failure processes, further refining her technology.
With support from Mitacs and the Government of Alberta, Dr. Ouellet recently launched Lumidas, a cleantech startup focused on advancing and commercializing her DAS monitoring system. The company is developing a software dashboard to streamline the integration of fibre optic sensing data for engineers, further enhancing user accessibility.
Mitacs recognized Dr. Ouellet as one of eight winners nationwide, selecting her work from thousands of projects funded across Canada.
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