The MonArc Project: Monitoring Programme for Foundation Settlements and Initial Results

Initial results of the Monitoring of Arctic Infrastructure project (MonArc) are presented. The project surveys buildings in several small towns in Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago, focusing on vertical settlements of buildings and foundations. The survey programme comprises damage characterization and performs annual measurements of vertical foundation settlements by differential leveling. Ground conditions in Spitsbergen are characterized by continuous permafrost. The monitoring programme comprises measurements in the small towns of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Pyramiden, and Svea. Settlement developments for surveyed buildings in the period 2017–2018 are presented. The established data may serve as a reference for future comparison and long-term assessment of vertical movements, for instance by repeating the survey every 5–10 years. The study and the data may contribute to a better understanding of the practical consequences of climate change, with its impact on various infrastructures.