The ground is constantly moving. In urban areas, this can be caused by large construction projects, changes in groundwater, or weather-related factors—often without us noticing. 

Even small shifts can cause serious damage to buildings, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure if they go undetected. 

A new research project will monitor ground behaviour in cities to track these movements and understand why they occur. 

This knowledge can be crucial when constructing a new metro line in Copenhagen, building the Marselisborg Tunnel in Aarhus, or ensuring the safety of quay walls in Danish ports. 

By combining satellite data, underground sensors, geotechnical models, and environmental data, researchers can reduce the risks associated with major infrastructure projects. Satellite data can also be used to back-analyse displacement trends over periods of up to a decade. 

The goal is to identify patterns in subsidence and vertical ground movement, map risks at city scale, and enable better decision-making in urban planning—and ultimately to avoid delays or unforeseen extra costs. 

Andrea Franza, Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, leads the project, which is called BEACON-URBANRISK. 

He researches underground geotechnics for transport and energy projects—for example, new metro lines or offshore wind farms. 

“We are very pleased with the funding. Advanced satellite techniques allow us to detect millimetre-scale ground movements from space,” he says, adding: 

“Using more accurate data in design improves safety and precision, and helps save time, money, and materials.” 

The research will develop methods that can detect and interpret ground movements affecting buildings and infrastructure across urban areas. It will combine satellite and terrestrial data with soil-structure interaction modelling. The methods are designed to distinguish between the effects of underground construction, weather, seasonal variations, and long-term climate changes—supporting better urban planning decisions. 

Avoiding Blind Spots in City-Scale Data 

Satellites can detect movements easily missed in other ground-based monitoring systems. 

This is explained by Adriana Hernandez, senior geotechnical engineer at Arup who is pursuing an industrial PhD at the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and has worked with satellite data as part of her research co-funded Innovation Fund Denmark. 

“Without this kind of information, you’re working in the dark and risk unforeseen—and not necessarily catastrophic, but potentially costly—events,” she says. 

The process also provided valuable insights. 

Satellites do have limitations: they only capture images every two to three weeks, and individual satellite tracks can be “blind” to movements in certain directions. 

In a scientific article due to be published in June, Hernandez describes experiences with a method called AC-InSAR, which will be presented orally at the 21 st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) to be held in Vienna in June 2026. 

By combining multiple satellite tracks and models, the method measures movements in three directions—up and down, and sideways—producing a full and precise 3D picture of ground displacement. 

“The work demonstrates the potential of satellite-based monitoring as a powerful complement to conventional instrumentation, supporting safer design, and risk management for major urban infrastructure projects,” Hernandez says, adding: 

“So, satellite data cannot replace traditional geotechnical monitoring, but they provide a much broader overview and increase safety for large urban construction projects.” 

Satellite Data Used Internationally 

Since the first metro in Copenhagen was built in 1996, technology has changed dramatically. 

At that time, satellite data was not available, and monitoring relied on classical measurements and observations over several years. 

“That is a fragile basis for assessing how the ground will be affected by metro construction. During the two to three years, when you monitor buildings and their movement, many different scenarios can arise,” Hernandez says. 

Weather events or ultra-local changes are examples of uncertainties that cannot be accounted for using the old approach. 

Today, satellite data allows continuous monitoring across entire city districts, making it possible to detect risks earlier and reduce false alarms. 

“The important thing is that the system doesn’t just see that the ground is moving—it also tries to explain why, so we can make better decisions,” says Andrea Franza. 

The technology has already proven its value internationally. 

In the Netherlands, it monitors bridges and canals in Amsterdam; in California, it maps landslides and fault lines; in Italy, satellite data was used retrospectively to analyse the movements of the Morandi Bridge before its collapse. 

In Denmark, satellite data also revealed that a landslide at Nordic Waste in Randers had been developing for several years. 

“Satellites alone cannot do the job — and neither can different data and models on their own. It takes a civil engineer to combine and interpret these datasets so these movements can be predicted before they develop into problems,” Franza says, adding: 

“We hope to contribute to safer and more resilient cities by enabling earlier and more reliable detection of ground and structural movement patterns associated with underground construction.