What is Ground Movement Monitoring?_
Ground Movement Monitoring involves tracking soil and rock movements, deformation, and other ground condition changes. It is essential for ensuring the stability and safety of infrastructure during construction and renovation. Ground Movement Monitoring provides valuable data that allows for proactive risk management, validation of design assumptions and helps to safeguard infrastructure and the built environment.
How does Ground Movement Monitoring work?_
Ground Movement Monitoring is based on a Ground Movement Assessment (GMA) and is conducted using advanced survey technologies and precise movement, settlement, tilt and vibration sensors. These systems together offer real-time 24/7 data access and analysis, enabling prompt, informed decision-making. Monitoring typically includes the installation of sensors and automated measurement systems that continuously record ground movements and vibrations. Remote monitoring without ground installations is also becoming more common due to the advance in satellite, radar and laser technology.
How Murphy Geospatial's "Precision from Space" revolutionises our monitoring solutions_
Murphy Geospatial’s “Precision from Space” or InSAR Satellite Monitoring approach integrate advanced monitoring satellite technologies like InSAR and GNSS with the expertise and capability to enhance results with terrestrial technologies as automated scanning and ground-based IoT sensors to ensure that every insight is accurate, relevant, and tailored to the project needs. Empowering you to focus solely on outcomes, with Murphy Geospatial, data isn’t just collected, it’s transformed into intelligence you can trust.
When is Ground Movement Monitoring used?_
During Construction_
It is deployed during construction to monitor ground movements for excavation and tunnelling safety, under track crossings (UTX), track settlement and heave during foundation work, and ensure vibration limits are maintained during drilling, demolition, or piling activities.
Infrastructure development_
It is used to monitor stability for roads and highways, detect ground movement for bridge foundations, piers and abutments, and ensure slope stability and track alignment for railways.
Post-construction and asset management_
Continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure is essential to assess stability both during maintenance and repairs, as well as to monitor damage and ensure stability in the aftermath of high-risk events, like flooding that may have impacted ground conditions.
Environmental and geotechnical studies_
It can be used to study the behaviour of soil and rock while also monitoring how climate change impacts ground stability.
Benefits of Ground Movement Monitoring_
Ensures alignment between design predictions and actual ground conditions.
Provides data-driven insights, enabling proactive risk management and optimisation of construction processes.
Continuous monitoring post-construction helps maintain infrastructure integrity and plan effective maintenance.
Early detection of ground condition changes reduces operational disruptions and ensures reliable infrastructure operations.
CASE STUDY
Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade - Cork, Ireland_
The Dunkettle Interchange upgrade improved road connectivity by replacing a congested roundabout that has long been a bottleneck for both local traffic and the national highway system. Murphy Geospatial’s monitoring team played a pivotal role in implementing a geotechnical monitoring system that measure ground movement across the construction site.
Due to the absence of prior geotechnical data for the site, the team integrated a user-friendly monitoring solution. This approach not only addressed the immediate needs of the project but also ensured simplicity for non-specialists for long term data collection.
Key services provided:
- Borehole Drilling and Grouting: Drilled and grouted boreholes for extensometers, inclinometers, and piezometers.
- Manual and Automated Data Recording: Collected readings manually and automatically depending on the instrument.
- Data Logging: Stored piezometer data on DT2055B Data Loggers, with weekly manual downloads.
- Ongoing Data Analysis: Provided data to refine soil models and inform future data collection on the site’s south side.
CASE STUDY
LUAS Tramway Monitoring - Dublin, Ireland_
The installation of a 110kV electricity power cable necessitated the installation of two ducts beneath the LUAS red line in west Dublin. To monitor potential vibration and ground movements, Murphy Geospatial provided continuous, real-time monitoring with millimetre accuracy. Challenges included avoiding mistaking vibrations from the heavy traffic.
Our team installed a comprehensive monitoring system, where data was transmitted to a central database, allowing for constant analysis and timely alerts. Trigger levels were set to notify teams during construction and non-construction hours, ensuring immediate response to any potential issues.
Key services provided:
- Data processing and alarming: Analysed monitoring data and set up alarms for any breached trigger levels.
- Precise levelling: Implemented to add redundancy to the monitoring system.
- Vibration monitoring: Used vibration sensors at key locations to ensure vibrations remained within agreed levels.
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