GPS World

Tag: dam

  • Dam repair monitored by robotic total station

    The project raised the dam height by 60 centimeters, reinforcing existing abutments and adding two piano key spillways.
    The project raised the dam height by 60 centimeters, reinforcing existing abutments and adding two piano key spillways.

    At the Razisse dam in southwest France, a Spectra Precision Focus 35 robotic total station was used to monitor structural movements during major repairs.

    The Focus 35 total station on the job.
    The Focus 35 total station on the job.

    The Focus 35 monitored to a half-millimeter accuracy movement of the arch dam abutments during a critical six-week period in the project. Raising the height of the dam was expected to cause the abutments to settle, so the Focus 35 was positioned to measure XY movement to ensure they were settling properly and within expectations.

    Measurements were taken at each step, with results communicated in real time to the contractor through an Excel file. The results enabled engineers to make critical decisions on whether to move further into the project. The final movement was less than a tenth of a millimeter, well within the acceptable value.

  • Louisiana DOT goes mobile for levee inspections

    The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has deployed TerraGo Edge for the inspection of flood protection infrastructure including levees, dams and reservoirs.

    The DOTD’s Public Works and Water Resources Division inspects more than 1,100 miles of levees, four times every year.

    The legacy inspection system was a custom-built application developed by an engineering services firm, which used Trimble Yuma ruggedized tablets. Over time, the system became less reliable and database updates were cumbersome and problematic. To truly fix the system would have meant more custom development services and other expenses.

     

    Each of the six Yuma tablets, fully configured, ran around $6,000. The annual software maintenance was also expensive at around $18,000, which did nothing to improve the reliability of the system.

    “We really wanted a cloud-based system, so we wouldn’t need to maintain a database server on-site. And if we could deploy an Android solution, those tablets would only cost us about $200, so the hardware would be pennies on the dollar. We could break and replace a lot of Android tablets compared to a traditional, ruggedized GPS tablet at $6,000,” said Doug Taylor, Director of Levees, Dams and Reservoirs at the DOTD.

    After a series of successful field trials, DOTD knew it had found a mobile solution that met their requirements across the board for reliability, ease of use and customizability, all with a cloud-based database solution at a fraction of the cost.

    TerraGo Edge’s customizable forms mean the DOTD never has to pay a software services fee for modifying a hard-coded solution again. They can design their own forms, maps and workflows, flexibly changing them whenever needed to improve the speed and quality of inspections and maintenance.

    “Honestly, my favorite part about TerraGo Edge is that it’s just easy to use,” said Taylor. “It’s easy to use in the field and it’s easy to get information and reports out whenever we need them. The challenge is always how to figure out the right forms and inspection workflow. We have hundreds of codes and things change over time. With Edge, we can customize our forms and process today, and know we can adjust things in the future. ”

    To learn more about the Louisiana DOTD customer success story, download the case study.

  • Trimble Offers New Version of Deformation Monitoring Software

     

    Trimble introduced today the latest version of its deformation monitoring software, Trimble 4D Control version 4.2. The new version of the monitoring software delivers enhanced communications with the Trimble NetR9 and new NetR9 Ti-M GNSS receiver, REF TEK seismic sensors and the Trimble S8 total station. It also supports geotechnical sensors, weather stations, level data and it provides velocity and trend computations as well as a calculation facility for mathematical operations. The interactive Web interface provides advanced alarms, data visualization and analysis tools. Site access is controlled by user login credentials.

    The announcement was made today at Intergeo 2013, being held in Essen, Germany, October 8-10.

    Trimble NetR9 Ti-M. Trimble also introduced a dedicated GNSS monitoring receiver, the Trimble NetR9 Ti-M, designed for real-time monitoring applications. This instrument is the fourth-generation of the proven Trimble NetR9 series of GNSS reference receivers, and is specifically designed for the monitoring market and supported by Trimble 4D Control software.

    Trimble REF TEK Sensors. Following the acquisition of REF TEK, now a division of Trimble and a provider of seismic sensors and data recording instruments, support for REF TEK accelerometers has been included in Trimble 4D Control version 4.2. Different variants of peak acceleration that are used in monitoring the effects of vibration on structures such as micro-seismic activity, proximity blasting or impact piling can be visualized and alarmed in Trimble 4D Control.

    Trimble 4D Control is a fully scalable and comprehensive software solution for both real-time and post-processed monitoring projects. The software solution is ideal for the long-term, automated monitoring of dams, bridges, buildings, support piers, large-scale construction and excavation sites, open pit mines, landslides, tunnels and other structures. Real-time management and control of the monitoring system is available via the Trimble 4D Control Web Interface on-site, online and around the clock from any location with Internet or Intranet connectivity.

    “To date, this advanced technology has only been available to end users of an automated monitoring system.  We recognized the need to provide this functionality across the full spectrum of monitoring applications,” said Ulrich Vollath, general manager of Trimble’s Infrastructure Division. “We are pleased to announce the launch of Trimble 4D Lite, a cloud-based subscription service which will make this solution available to small- and medium-sized monitoring projects. With the introduction of 4D Lite, Trimble’s monitoring solutions are now available for the full spectrum of monitoring projects, from small, non-permanent, campaign monitoring projects through to permanent, fully automated monitoring systems.”

    Trimble 4D Lite – Advanced Cloud Monitoring Service. 4D Lite is a cloud-based application that is designed with an interface familiar to existing Trimble monitoring technology users. 4D Lite is designed for surveyors, engineers and scientists to perform campaign monitoring of data/time series without the need to integrate directly with onsite hardware and sensors. Trimble 4D Lite can be used to meet campaign monitoring needs of installations on dams, bridges, mines, landslides, buildings and other natural and man-made hazards or structures using sensors to monitor health. Data can be integrated from a wide range of sensors. The data can be visualized and analyzed on a variety of interactive charts and scatter plots and the sensors can be viewed in context with the structure using a variety of backdrops including maps, plans or photographs.

    Trimble 4D Control version 4.2, the NetR9 Ti-M GNSS receiver and the 4D Lite monitoring service are available now from Trimble’s worldwide Infrastructure distribution network.