Combined manual and automated monitoring scheme for ground improvement works in a UK National Park.
The project
The dam is located on one of a series of reservoirs that are crucial infrastructure
assets with an important role in ensuring a reliable water supply for a major
urban area.
Keller UK are carrying out piling works to strengthen the structure of the
reservoir’s dam. These ground improvement works are part of a scheme that will
help safeguard the integrity of the dam, ensuring the long-term safety and
effectiveness of the structure.
The challenge
GEO-Instruments needed to design a monitoring scheme to supplement the ongoing historical monitoring of the dam incorporating multiple types of automated
and manual monitoring of the structure as well as environmental monitoring to
measure the impact of ongoing site works.
The solution
Manual levelling offers precise, long-term data on the physical movement of the
structure. Surveyors take precise measurements of the height of the dam's
surface, monitoring for any signs of differential settlement at regularly spaced,
fixed points along the structure. The technique is simple but effective, offering
high accuracy and reliability, making it an indispensable part of the monitoring
program.
Before piling works began, a triaxial geophone vibration sensor was installed on
the downstream side of the dam. This sensor is highly sensitive to all sources of
vibration but is ideal for measuring the impact of ground works on the structure.
Two S50 sound level meters monitor the noise levels generated by the site.
Three In-Place Inclinometers (IPIs) will be also installed into selected piles to
provide continuous, high-frequency data to monitor the lateral movement and
structural integrity of the piles and surrounding ground.