Semi-Real Time

Inclinometer readings
using Wire-less
Technologies
G.H. Tan, Y.K. Poh
SysEng (S) Pte Ltd

N. Osborne, C.C. Ng
Land Transport Authority, Singapore
Geotechnical Instruments are :-

•Site Investigation Work

•Design Verification
•Performance
•Safety
•Construction Control
•Quality Control
•Legal Protection
When safety is the highest
priority, it must have a reliable
and fast method to deliver on-
site results to decision
makers:-
•Safety
•Construction Control
•Quality Control
•Legal Protection
Lessons
learned from
a Major Past
incident
Inclinometers are used for monitoring
the soil movements over time
Daily
Automatic
Data
Processing of
Inclinometer
Readings
Current Industry
practice
Inclinometers from various manufacturers
Geokon Slope Indicator Encardio-rite

RST Instruments (PDA) Soil Instruments (PDA)

There readout
boxes require a
PC to download
their data
 Timing for measuring 10 bore holes in a site
Bore 60 mins Case Study:
Hole#1 Total Throughput time
10 mins
for Bore Hole#1 data to
Bore 60 mins reach end user is
Hole#2
10 mins
60x10 + 10x9 + 60 + 30
Bore 60 mins
Hole#3
mins = 780 mins (13 hrs)
10 mins In Main office, switch on
PC to download,
Bore 60 mins process, verify and
Hole#10 email to Stake Holders
Drive back 30 mins for
for 60 mins processing data
Many challenges to ensure
consistency as construction sites
are far from ideal conditions with
practical constraints of :-
•Human Errors
•Measurement bore holes with
blockages
•Worker inexperience
•Inefficiencies due to manual work
•Weather (Rain, Lightning and Heat)
 A new method to
reduce the time taken
from the
measurement until it
reaches the Stake
Holder using Wire-
less Technologies
Simple steps for Data retrieval from sites using
existing inclinometer, user’s mobile phone

3m
Short Range
Device consists
of a battery
powered
embedded
computer with
Wire-less
Bluetooth
module
Transferring data from Mobile Phone to
Stake holder using Central Server
GPRS
Open
Public
Network

Central Email with

Server raw data &
System Inclinometer
plot
Timing taken in the New Work Flow Process
Bore 60 mins Case Study:
Hole#1 Total Throughput time
for Bore Hole#1 data to
GPRS reach end user is
Transmission 2 mins
60 + 2 + 8 mins = 70 mins

10 mins 8 mins
Worker walks Automatic
to another Processing
bore hole and Emailing
Comparison of the time taken to
obtain on site measurements

Current Practice : 780 minutes

Improve Method : 70 minutes

Throughput improvements :
= 780 / 70 = 11 !
+
Advantages of the Semi-Real Time
Inclinometer solution
• PC-less system to retrieve the data
• Preventing loss of PC on site
• Maximum use of inclinometer system
• Low Error possibility with less human
intervention of data processing
• Worker uses this own Mobile Phone with only
additional GPRS charges
• Consultant gets measured data immediately
• Any measurement re-confirmation can be done
immediately via a phone call rather than doing it
the next day
 Site Workers Office staff gets
information and
Measures and Transmit data discuss results

+
SDR
The feedback comments from
the users:-

• When the readings showed

unexpected movements, it
provides opportunity to
immediately phone the site staff
to re-measure and verify that
particular bore-hole.
• When there are Critical Lateral
Displacements to be monitored,
this is the best approach to
control the Site Work Activities
to enhance the Safety as well as
to allow Critical Activity to be
carried out
• Without this technology, the
technician needs to monitor all
the inclinometers of the project
before he comes back to office
at the end of the day to down
load the raw data readings
logged in the readout box to the
PC. It will take a few hours for
the readings of the inclinometer
to reach the user after it is taken
An added advantage for
the data security to
prevent unaware data
alteration in the system
to help Professional
Engineers minimize
their risks & liabilities
 Current Data Flow Practice
Readout Monitoring
Process
Box and Engineer Report with
Computer Mistakes ?
Care-less ? justifiable
for down
Forget ? adjustment
loading
Authority
Consultant
 Proposed Data Flow Security

Monitoring Process
Engineer Reports with
Central justifiable
Server adjustments
Raw data Processed
Authority
kept intact Inclinometer
Consultant Information
using Parallel
Information
Flow for
verification
Benefits of the Proposed System
• The measured data is automatically plotted
and email simultaneously to all stake holders
• This processed information will be over-
ride, if the monitoring engineer has
correction with justifications
• Unique User ID tagged to Readout Box to
avoid mixed up information from various
Readout Boxes and Files
• Date & Time when the readings are carried
out are Logged at the Server, & NOT using
the clock of the Readout Box, which could
be altered at Box level