Field Instrumentation

The Slope Indicator division of Durham Geo manufactures a full range of geotechnical and structural sensors for monitoring tilt, displacement, pressure, and strain. The company also supplies data acquisition systems and software for real-time processing and graphical presentation of data.

Please visit the Slope Indicator Website for product and application information, case studies, data sheets, information, manuals, and technical support.

Inclinometers

Slope Indicator's Digitilt inclinometer system and precision inclinometer casing is the world standard. Typical applications for inclinometers include:

•Monitoring slopes and landslides to detect zones of movement and establish whether movement is constant, accelerating, or responding to remedial measures.

•Monitoring diaphragm walls and sheet piles to check that deflections are within design limits, that struts and anchors are performing as expected, and that adjacent buildings are not affected by ground movements.

•Monitoring dams, dam abutments, and upstream slopes for movement during and after impoundment.

• Monitoring the effects of tunneling operations to ensure that adjacent structures are not damaged by gound movements.

Piezometers

Slope Indicator manufactures vibrating wire piezometers, pneumatic piezometers, and water level indicators. Typical applications include:

• Monitoring pore water pressures to determine safe rates of fill or excavation. Monitoring pore water pressures to evaluate slope stability.

• Monitoring dewatering systems used for excavations.

• Monitoring ground improvement systems, such as vertical drains and sand drains.

• Monitoring pore pressures to check the performance of earthfill dams and embankments.

• Monitoring pore pressures to check containment systems at landfills and tailings dams.

Extensometers

Slope Indicator manufactures a wide range of extensometers. Each is designed for specific applications, including:

• Monitoring settlement or heave in excavations, foundations, dams, and embankments.

• Monitoring subsidence above mines, tunnels, and other underground openings.

• Monitoring convergence in tunnel walls and other underground openings.

• Monitoring movements in rock slides, walls, and abutments.

• Monitoring consolidation of soil under embankments and surcharges.

• Monitoring compression of pile and soil under pile.

Settlement Systems

• Settlements in soil are monitored with the borehole extensometers, settlement cells, and horizontal inclinometers.

• Settlement cells provide single point settlement measurements in embankments and fills. provide single point measurements

• Horizontal inclinometers provide settlement profiles of embankents, foundations, and other structures.

• Beam sensors and tiltmeters monitor settlement in structures.

Strain Gauges

Weldable strain gauges measure strain in steel. Typical applications include:

• Monitoring stresses in structural members of buildings, bridges, tunnel linings and supports during and after construction.

• Monitoring the performance of in-wall anchors and other post-tensioned support systems.

• Monitoring loads in strutting systems for deep excavations.

• Measuring strain in tunnel linings and supports.

• Monitoring areas of concentrated stress in pipelines.

• Monitoring distribution of load in pile tests.

Embedment strain gauges measure strain in concrete. Typical applications include:

• Measuring strains in reinforced concrete and mass concrete.

• Measuring curing strains.

• Monitoring for changes in load.

• Measuring strain in tunnel linings and supports.

Jointmeters

Jointmeters are used to monitor movement at joints and cracks in concrete and rock. A variety of jointmeters are available and designed for specific applications, such as:

• Monitoring movement at joints in mass-concrete structures such as abutments, foundations, and dams.

• Monitoring doweled or keyed joints in concrete structures.

• Monitor movement at joints and cracks in concrete structures or rock.

• Monitor movement at submerged joints and cracks.

Total Pressure Cells

Total pressure cells are used to verify design assumptions and to warn of soil pressures in excess of those a structure is designed to withstand. Typical applications include:

• Determining the distribution, magnitude, and directions of total stresses in an embankment or in the clay core of a dam.

• Confirm that tailings material is densifying at design rate.

• Estimate overburden pressure acting on foundation.

• Measure contact pressures in abutments and foundations.

• Measure stress fields in shotcrete.