Inspection and monitoring by enhanced mechatronic solutions in the Gran Sasso National Laboratories

Monitoring and automated inspection are needful to evaluate critical aspects related to the health of structures and infrastructures. The information coming from data processing could be used to program optimal maintenance interventions. Sometimes, the installation phase of special smart sensors constituting the monitoring network could be difficult due to the presence of inaccessible points. An example is represented by the underground galleries of the Gran Sasso National Laboratories, the most important underground research center dedicated to the study of fundamental constituents of matter. The stability of the rock of these galleries is provided above all by passive anchorages (rock bolts). They are the main structural elements to monitor to evaluate the actual conditions of the vault, but they are also the most difficult to monitor because they are stuck in the rock and, in some areas, they are situated under a cladding panel. It is evident how, in this special background, the inspection and monitoring of the vaults are challenging but also fundamental for both environmental and staff safety. In this work, methodologies based on the use of robotic systems will be presented to perform actions dedicated to the monitoring of the galleries.