One civil engineering setting, where vibration monitoring is fundamental, is building construction.
Assessing the elements to monitor and the method to be used is an extremely complex task, which takes into consideration the following factors:
- Monitoring can take place either for structures that are under construction, especially to monitor potential structural damage and to prevent subsidence for adjacent buildings or structures. In the latter case, it is crucial to define the intended use of the buildings.
For commercial buildings or monuments, it is crucial to conduct structural monitoring to evaluate hidden or clear damage; whereas for residential buildings, monitoring should be carried out to measure vibrations that might distress nearby residents.
- Monitoring may, or should be conducted, continuously and permanently, particularly in cases where the focus is assessing possible structural damage. Alternatively, however, it may be carried out using spot measurements or measurements over brief periods if the focus is on disturbances for nearby residents. In the latter case, it is advisable to define key junctures during construction phases, usually before, after and, mainly, during construction.
- Sensor chains can be made of several different types of sensors. In some cases, measuring a building’s vibrations by placing a single sensor in a specific spot should be enough, especially if the goal is to assess disturbances. However, to evaluate potential structural damages of a tall building, you would have to place no less than a series of sensors at key points of a same building, such as the building foundations and its rooftop.
- The system should be able to handle acceptability limits for various vibrations, according to the measuring point or type of structure on which the sensors are installed.
That’s why defining a suitable monitoring system does not imply one single solution, but could instead change over time, during the different phases of a particular project.
The GEA II System’s hardware and software are highly versatile, allowing the apparatus to be used in a wide range of settings. This versatility also ensures that the monitoring system administrator can precisely configure the system during the various phases of construction, thus minimizing the costs of hardware and software customization.
Sequoia IT offers advanced solutions for this monitoring field, such as the GEA Line. Read more.
