Measurement automation platforms are unique to each dam because of the many types of measurements they are required to collect. Our platforms can measure all the parameters required for a successful dam monitoring program, including, but not limited to, water level and flow, strain, and vibration. In addition to real-time data measurement, each measurement device will alert you of changes in factors such as water level, load, pressure, and tilt if they move beyond acceptable ranges. Historical and real-time data can be transmitted directly to the cloud or to your PC. Measurement automation platforms are rugged, low power, and adaptable to the harshest, most remote environments.
Allow our team of experienced application engineers to make this easy as they help you build a dam monitoring system specific to the measurements you need.
Geotechnical Measurement Automation Platforms
The versatility of our platforms allows them to be customized for each application. We offer a range of platforms, from the most basic device with just a few channels to expandable platforms that measure hundreds of channels. Scan rates can be programmed from once every few hours to 10,000 times per second, depending on the model. Measurement types, processing algorithms, and recording intervals are also programmable.
The measurement automation platform has a simple, yet powerful on-board instruction set: simply choose the sensor type, scan rate, and measurement channel. On-board mathematical and statistical processing allows data reduction in the field and enables measurements to be viewed in the desired units, whether that is microstrains, centimeters per second, revolutions per minute, meters, Amperes, or inches.
The versatility of the measurement automation platform extends to control as well. Each platform can monitor and control external devices based on time or measured conditions, allowing savings in time and equipment, and warning of—or possible prevention of—dangerous conditions. These platforms are rugged enough to be used in geotechnical studies and dams worldwide.
The measurement automation platform can stand alone. Once programmed and powered, no human or computer interaction is required, although data are typically downloaded to a PC or exported to the cloud for further analysis. A telecommunication or hardwire link allows data to be monitored and graphed in your office rather than in the field. Data from various stations and applications can be monitored from a single laptop or desktop computer.
The low power drain typically allows our platforms to be powered by solar panels and batteries. If 110/220-Vac power, vehicle power, or external 12-Vdc batteries are available, you can use those as well. Nonvolatile data storage and a battery-backed clock ensure data capture and integrity.
Sensors Used for Geotechnical Measurements
The versatility of our measurement automation platforms begins with sensor compatibility. Our platforms can measure virtually every commercially available sensor, allowing them to be used in different ways for a variety of measurements. For example, the following are common parameters that the sensors in our platforms measure:
- Barometric pressure
- Pore water pressure
- Water level
- Water flow
- Temperature
- Weight
- Force
- Pressure
- Strain
- Tilt
- Deflection
- Inclination
- Settlement
- Displacement
- Elevation
- Humidity