In recent years, the mining sector has undergone an intense technological transformation, with the expanded use of intelligent sensors, automation, and continuous monitoring. This advancement has resulted in the generation of increasingly large volumes of data, at high speed and from multiple sources, making the processes of analysis and decision-making more complex.
In this context, ensuring the safety of structures now requires faster, more integrated, and more accurate analyses. It is within this scenario that SHMS – Slope Health Monitoring System – emerges.
More than just an acronym, SHMS represents the modernization of geotechnical risk management, enabling the identification of anomalous situations before they become critical. But what exactly is SHMS, how does it work, and why is it becoming an essential pillar of modern geotechnical monitoring?
SHMS is a system that uses sensors, communication networks, and analytical software to continuously monitor the integrity of geotechnical structures (dams, slopes, and others).
It is an agnostic system, compatible with any type of instrument, capable of integrating data from different parameters such as deformation, displacement, vibration, pore pressure, and moisture, transforming this information into reliable indicators to anticipate systemic failures or unexpected performance issues.
In other words, SHMS functions as the “central monitoring nervous system” of structures, capturing and interpreting vital signals in near real time.
The operation of SHMS is based on three main pillars:
Monitoring Sensor Integration:
Installed at strategic points of the structure, sensors capture physical behavior data (piezometers, inclinometers, fiber optic sensors, interferometric radar, and all other existing instruments).
Data Acquisition and Storage:
The collected data, often transmitted via wireless networks or fiber optics, is stored on a local server or in the cloud.
Analysis and Decision-Making:
The system continuously analyzes data based on control levels, fault tree logic, and operational variations, identifying pattern deviations and issuing automatic alerts in case of anomalous situations to support decision-making.
This structure enables technical teams to act predictively, following the TARP (Trigger Action Response Plan) defined within the system, reducing response time and enhancing operational safety.
After the accidents that marked the sector, combined with the evolution of Mining 4.0 and increasing demands for safety and sustainability, SHMS has become a strategic element of proactive risk management.
Here’s why:
Continuous and Automated Monitoring:
Allows continuous structural monitoring, reduces response time, minimizes and seeks to eliminate human error, and provides 24/7 data availability with automatic triggering in case of alerts.
Data-Driven Decision-Making:
Fault trees and automated analytical reports enable more assertive, risk-informed technical decisions.
Integration with Digital Platforms:
SHMS can be integrated with other geotechnical management systems, such as GeoInspector, optimizing information flow.
Regulatory Compliance:
Supports compliance with global standards, legislation, and current technical regulations, strengthening governance and operational accountability.
You can also watch a more detailed explanation by Geotechnical Engineer Jarleson from Vale, presented at the GEOMIN – Geotechnics Applied to Mining congress. In the video, he addresses the topic “Automated Geotechnical Monitoring in Dam Decharacterization Projects” starting at minute 7, offering relevant insights into the use of advanced monitoring technologies in the context of safety and risk management.
While traditional systems require manual or automated collection from different sensors in a non-integrated manner, with analyses performed afterward, SHMS operates continuously and automatically, providing greater data accuracy and real-time alert generation.
SHMS can be applied to dams, slopes, waste piles, railways, and civil infrastructure, among others.
Yes. Modern platforms allow integration into SHMS, expanding geotechnical analysis and visualization capabilities.
SHMS goes beyond simple data integration, acting as a scalable and evolvable solution to support structural integrity and operational safety in mining.
By enabling data-driven decisions, reducing risks, and increasing structural reliability, SHMS has redefined the standard of intelligent geotechnical monitoring.
Intelltech is a Brazilian company recognized as a reference in geotechnical monitoring and risk management solutions, offering high-performance systems developed by its own team with full data integration.
Intelltech’s SHMS system combines geotechnical instrumentation, automation, and analytical intelligence into a single platform, capable of unifying field data and advanced real-time analyses.
Complete and Agnostic Integration:
Compatibility with all sensors and software available on the market.
Modular System:
Flexible architecture that enables development and configuration according to client-specific characteristics and operational requirements.
Intelligent and Customizable Dashboards:
Clear and intuitive visualization of indicators, with automated analyses to support decision-making.
Proven Capacity:
Continuous monitoring of more than 20,000 instruments for a single client.
Specialized Technical Support:
24/7 expert support availability.
With Intelltech, mining companies gain access to a robust, reliable, and adaptable solution tailored to the needs of each operation, promoting greater safety, efficiency, and control over structural behavior.
Schedule a demonstration with one of our specialists today.
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