CONSTRUCTION
MONITORING
CASE STUDY:
REMOTE MONITORING ON LANTAU ISLAND
Nicholas Cheng with Geotechnical & Concrete Engineering (GCE) knew this construction monitoring project would be a challenge.
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The project called for providing preliminary site data to inform the construction design of a major new highway planned for the northeastern side of Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. However, the location’s steep hillsides make it some of the most rugged terrain in all of Hong Kong. Some sensor site locations that Cheng needed to access were only accessible via helicopter; others were accessible on foot, but were both time-consuming and dangerous to access. Cheng knew that using traditional on-site data collection methods that required physically uploading data directly to a laptop or device were not ideal in such potentially treacherous terrain.
Construction Monitoring Situation:
Overcoming Terrain Challenges with Remote Sensor Data Management
Construction Monitoring Solution:
Inzwa Cloud's Remote Sensor Data Management
Platform a Game Changer for GCE
GCE chose to use GEOKON vibrating wire piezometers connected to data loggers to monitor the slope water level along these hillsides. The ability of Inzwa Cloud's remote sensor management platform to integrate seamlessly with these devices and transmit data reliably and remotely meant that the need for physical site visits to access and upload the data was unnecessary.
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Nicholas Cheng and his team placed 13 GEOKON piezometers at strategic locations along the site, each connected to a data logger and attached to a solar panel to provide uninterrupted and continuous power. The terrain made placement challenging, but Inzwa Cloud's remote sensor data management solution made the monitoring project more efficient, economical – and safer."Some sensor sites were so inaccessible that helicopters were required to reach them,” Cheng explained. “This project would have been both time-consuming and dangerous without data loggers integrated with Inzwa Cloud's remote sensor data management solution."
Inzwa Cloud Remote Sensor Data Solution:
Customized Formula Created to Automatically Report Water Levels
The GCE team needed to monitor and report water level data. In addition, the calculation needed to include a specific variable referencing the distance from the device’s location to a fixed, baseline location on Hong Kong Island. Inzwa worked with GCE to translate the water pressure data being captured into a new customized water-level engineering unit by adding a secondary linear equation to the existing formula. This updated formula – now an enhanced capability available to all Inzwa Cloud users – not only allowed the remote water-pressure data to be captured and reported automatically in the desired water-level engineering unit with no additional, manual data manipulation required, it also provides the flexibility for nearly any device to be connected and configured to provide this desired engineering unit. "This formula would cover about 90% of the devices that I would use on future projects," Cheng said.
"This formula would cover about 90% of all the devices that I would use on future projects."
Nicholas Cheng, GCE
Construction Monitoring Result:
Risk, Costs and Time on Site Minimized
The implementation of Inzwa Cloud's remote sensor data management solution revolutionized – and simplified - the construction monitoring process for GCE on this project. The platform's integration with the devices on site allowed for wireless connectivity and remote data access, eliminating the need for manual data retrieval and reducing associated risks.
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Seamlessly integrated, the data loggers automatically transmitted the collected data at regular intervals and in the required engineering units, ensuring immediate access to accurate and reliable readings for efficient analysis and decision making. "These systems provided a crucial solution for overcoming the dangers associated with accessing remote sensor sites,” Cheng concluded. “The ability to remotely collect and analyze data enhanced both the efficiency and safety of the monitoring process."
"These systems provided a crucial solution for overcoming the dangers associated with accessing remote sensor sites."
Nicholas Cheng, GCE
Inzwa Cloud:
Environmental Monitoring Software Integrations
The Inzwa Cloud environmental monitoring system is a "plug & play" remote sensor data management platform that integrates seamlessly with a broad array of third-party geotechnical monitoring sensors and devices, including:
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Vibration
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Tilt
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Sound
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Dust
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Vibrating wire
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Total Station
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Piezometers
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Inclinometers
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Extensometers
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Crack gauges
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Load sensors
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The Inzwa environmental monitoring system seamlessly collects and reports remote sensor data, providing real-time, intuitive data visualizations for fast operational insights to help mitigate risk and assure project safety and compliance parameters are continuously being met.
Current Integrations
