Connecting through monitoring

Although often thought of as static, engineering structures are continually in a state of motion. Consider the several elements that stress a structure on a daily basis:

• John Holland, leading contractor and service operator for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia
• LEED Civil & Engineering, specialists of complex infrastructures projects

Some facts about the South Road Superway project

• Expansion and contraction caused by temperature change
• Differential heating effects caused by the movement of the sun across a structure
• Wind loading
• Ocean loading and earth tides caused by daily tidal movements
• Vehicular traffic loading

All of this combines to produce constant movement in a structure. Such movements are typically small and occur slowly over the cause of a day. It is critical, therefore, to understanding the structures’ behaviour that monitoring is conducted automatically and frequently so that these changes can be tracked.

The striking design of the South Road Superway, with its unusual curved piers, complex geometry, and size presented some challenging measurement tasks.

C. R. Kennedy, the largest surveying solutions supplier in Australia, was able to supply and consult the combined venture as to the best solution for this long-term monitoring project. C.R. Kennedy recommended Leica GeoMoS monitoring software and hardware:

• GeoMos Monitor
• GeoMos Option 1 (Computations)
• GeoMos Option 2 (Limit checks & Messaging)
• GeoMos Analyser
• 230x GeoMos Sensor Licences
• 5x TM50 Total Stations
• 2x TS15 Total Stations
• 7x Instrument environmental housings
• 2x Vaisala weather stations
• 7x Modems
• 7x Power supply/UPS systems
• 290x Prisms

Story: Connecting through monitoring
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Monitoring Movement
Chapter 3: Real-time monitoring for safety