Description:
EngAnalysis was recently approached, asking if it would be possible to automate the monitoring of a 110yo bridge abutment that was experiencing major ground consolidation during the build of a replacement duplication bridge. The project requirements were to supply the half hourly displacements of the abutment over a 24hr period on a daily basis.
The current monitoring methods proved expensive, inconsistent and lacked easily digested reporting and trending. We took an agnostic approach to the technology used, by augmenting traditional monitoring methods. Enganalysis proposed permanently installing an S9 Trimble Total Station, recording target locations on a half hour basis with automated reporting and alarming using a combination custom data portal backed by MATLAB scripts and twice daily automated emailing of 24 hour displacements and project lifetime trending.
The onsite system was installed within days from purchase order/ first contact, with semi-automated reporting arriving in our client’s inbox within 7 days. Full automation was progressively implemented with displacement reports, long term trend plots and alarm reporting emailed twice daily, as an end result.
We are proud of this project because a number of long-term benefits expanded client’s radar of technology options. Previous manual 24-hour reporting did not allow for metered reactions, and made decisions and workflow volatile. Customer feedback was extremely positive, with statements such as “The data was very easy to follow and gave me confidence to not complete repairs that previous conservative models would have demanded”, and “This project has opened my eyes to many other possibilities and ways to improve our structural asset management using models based on real data”.
