Inclinometers

Introduction |  Inclinometer Casing |  Digitilt Probe |  Horizontal Digitilt Probe |  EL In-Place Sensors |  Horizontal EL In-Place Sensors |  Spiral Sensor |  DataMate Readout |  Digitilt 09 Readout |  DigiPro Software

Applications for Vertical Inclinometers

• 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 ground movements.

Applications for horizontal inclinometers

• Providing settlement profiles of embankments, foundations, and other structures.
• Monitoring deformation of the concrete face of a dam.

System Components

1. Inclinometer casing is installed in a borehole that passes through suspected zones of movement. Inclinometer casing can also be embedded in fill, buried in a trench, cast into concrete, or attached to a structure. Important features include the diameter of the casing, the coupling mechanism, groove precision and straightness, and the strength of the casing. See Inclinometer Casing.
   
   
2. A portable inclinometer probe or a fixed string of in-place sensors, used to survey the casing. The first survey establishes the initial profile of the casing. Subsequent surveys reveal changes in the profile of the casing if movement has occurred.
   
   The portable inclinometer probe is the standard device for surveying the casing. It obtains a complete profile because it is drawn from the bottom to the top of the casing. It is also economical, since it can be carried from site to site. See Digitilt Inclinometer Probe or Horizontal Inclinometer Probe.
   
   In-place inclinometer sensors are ideal for data logging and real-time, remote monitoring for critical applications such as construction control and safety monitoring. The costs for an in-place system are greater because the sensors are dedicated to a particular installation. See In-Place Sensors or Horizontal In-Place Sensors.
   
   A spiral sensor provides readings that can be used to correct inclinometer data obtained from spiraled casing. Spiral surveys are recommended when the installation is very deep, when inclinometer readings indicate movement in unlikely directions, or when difficulties were experienced during installation. See Spiral Sensor .
   
   
3. A portable readout or a data logger, used to record the surveys. The portable readout is used with the portable probe. Advance readouts store readings in solid-state memory, eliminating pencil, paper, and transcription errors, and transfer the data to a computer for processing. See the Digitilt DataMate.
   
   A data logger is used with in-place sensors. It monitors continuously and can trigger an alarm when it detects a change or rate of change that exceeds a preset value. See CR10X data logger .
   
   
4. Computer software for data reduction and graphing. Inclinometers generate more data than do other types of sensors. A single survey may generate several hundred data points. Over time, tens of thousands of data points are manipulated, reduced, graphed, and archived. Slope Indicator's DigiPro software for Windows 95/98/NT is designed to speed this process.
   
   In-place inclinometer systems connected to data loggers generate even more data. With such systems, near-real time processing is usually a requirement. Slope Indicator can provide customized software, such as Multimon , that shows location, reading, alarm status, and trend plots.