Instrumentation Planning

& Design
By
Sripad
Scientist-IV and Head of Department
Numerical Modelling Division, NIRM
WHY INSTRUMENTATION?
„ In view of inadequate pre-construction investigation
there is a great scope of non-optimal design
„ The designer resorts to adhocism which may result in
over design or under design – Both the situations are
undesirable
„ A very safe tunnel may be a costly venture, however
„ An unsafe tunnel may be disastrous
„ To strike a balance between both the extremes,
Systematic Instrumentation is the key.
REASONS FOR FIELD
PERFORMANCE MONITORING?
„ To record the natural values of and variations in
geotechnical parameters
„ To ensure safety during excavation giving
warning of unexpected or excessive deformations
„ To confirm the validity of the assumptions and the
modeling used in design calculations
„ To confirm support and lay out performance in
particular environment
Instrumentation & Monitoring
The use of geotechnical instrumentation is not merely the
selection of instruments but a comprehensive step-by-step
engineering process beginning with definition of the objective
and ending with the implementation of the data
Engineering objective typically encountered in soil and rock
engineering projects have led to the design and commercial
marketing of numerous instrument types, measuring for
example:

¾ Temperature
Decreasing
Reliability

¾ Deformation
¾ Ground water/Pore Pressure
¾ Total Stress in Soil and stress change in rock
Field Instrumentation
Geotechnical engineering projects often present the ultimate
measurement challenge, in part because of their initial lack of
definition and the shear scale of the problem. The
measurement problem usually requires information ranging
from a coarse scale down to a fine scale and involving
number of instrumentation techniques.
The ultimate goal is to select the most
sensitive measurement parameters with
respect to the project objectives, eg. The ones
that will change significantly at the onset of
failure. However, because of physical
limitations and economic constraints all
parameters can not be measured with equal
ease and success
Planning and Design
Adequate planning is required before proceeding, and these plans
should be logical and comprehensive –from defining the objectives
to planning how the measurement data will be implemented

The Steps through which the planning should proceed include:

1. Define the project Conditions
¾ project type and layout,
¾ geology and structure,
¾ engineering properties of materials,
¾ ground water conditions,
¾ status of nearby structures or other facilities and
¾ environmental conditions and planned construction
methods
2. Predict mechanisms that control behaviour
¾ more working hypotheses based on the comprehensive
knowledge of the project conditions.
Planning and Design
3. Define the geotechnical questions that need to be answered
Every instrument on a project should be selected and placed to assist
in answering a specific question: if there is no question, there should
be no instrumentation
4. Define the purpose of instrumentation
Peck(1984) stated that , “ The legitimate uses of instrumentation are so
many and the questions that instruments and observations can answer
so vital, that we should not risk discrediting their value by using them
improperly or unnecessarily”
5. Select the parameters to be monitored
¾pore water pressure,

¾ total stress change,

¾ deformation,

¾load

¾strain in structural members, and

¾ temperature
Planning and Design
6. Predict magnitudes of change
Predictions are necessary so that the required instrument ranges
and required instruments sensitivities or accuracies can be
selected
7. Device Remedial Action
Inherent in the use of instrumentation for construction purposes is
the absolute necessity for deciding in advance, a positive means
for solving any problem that may be disclosed by the results of
observation.
8. Assign tasks for design, construction and operation Phases
Instrumentation specialists may be employees of the owner or the
design consultant or may be consultants with special expertise in
geotechnical instrumentation, When assigning the tasks for
monitoring, the party with the greatest vested interest in the
data should be given direct line responsibility for producing it
accurately.
 Planning and Design
9. Select Instruments
When selecting instruments, the overriding desirable feature
is reliability. Inherent in reliability is maximum simplicity

Optical
complexity

Mechanical
Increasing

Hydraulic
Pneumatic
Electrical
Reliable, rugged and capable of functioning for long periods of
time without repair or replacement
Instrument should be:
Capable of responding rapidly and precisely to changes so that
a true pictures of events can be maintained at all times
Planning and Design
10. Select instrument locations
¾ Locations should reflect the
predicted behaviour and
¾ should be compatible with the
method of analysis that will later
be used when interpreting the
data.
11. Account for the factors that
may influence measured data
Details of each instrument
installation should be recorded,
because local or unusual
conditions often influence
measured variables.
Planning and Design
12. Establish the procedures for ensuring reading correctness
When reading an instrument, one should be able to answer the
question: Is the instrument functioning correctly?
The answers can sometimes be provided by visual observations,
duplication of instruments, data consistency or through the use of
instruments that internally check their own correct functioning
13. List the specific purpose of each instrument
It is useful to question whether all planned instruments are
justified. If no viable purpose can be found for a planned
instrument , it should be deleted.
14. Prepare a budget
A budget should be preapred for all instrumentation related tasks
to ensure sufficient funds are indeed available. A frequent error in
budget preparation is to under estimate the duration of the project
and the real data collection and processing costs.
Planning and Design
15. Prepare a instrument procurement specification
There are several competing instrument manufacturers, each
offering products designed for similar geotechnical purpose. Be
aware instrument’s capabilities (and limitations), as well as
those of competing products. Instrument should be purchased
from established manufacturers.
16. Plan installation
Installation procedures should be planned well in advance of
scheduled installation dates. The step-by-step procedures should
include a detailed list of required materials and tools, and
installation record sheets for documenting factors that may
influence measured data.
17. Plan data collection, processing, presentation, interpretation,
reporting and implementation
The effort required for these tasks should not be underestimated.
Insufficient fund/time may result in partially processed data
Instrumentation Types
¾ Temperature
Decreasing
Reliability
¾ Deformation
¾ Ground water/Pore Pressure
¾ Total Stress in Soil and stress change in rock

Optical
complexity

Mechanical
Increasing

Hydraulic
Pneumatic
Electrical
CAPABILITIES OF THE PEOPLE
INVOLVED
„ Basic capabilities required for instrumentation personnel
are reliability and Patience
„ Back ground in the fundamentals of Rock mechanics
instrumentation
„ Attention to detail and a high degree of motivation
 WHAT IS GEOTECHNICAL INSTRUMENTATION?

„ There are two general categories of measuring instruments

„ The first category is used for insitu deformation of soil or
rock properties, for ex: strength, compressibility, and
permeability normally during the design phase of project
„ The second category is used for monitoring performance,
normally during the construction or operation phase of a
project, and may involve measurement of pore pressure,
stress, deformation, load or strain.
Surface Measurements - Geodetic
surface movements are surveyed to determine
displacements and velocities, utilizing either
optical or electronic devices.
„ Advantages: automated (total station),
inexpensive, versatile.
„ Accuracy: typically ±2mm
 Surface Measurements - Tiltmeters

primarily used to measure slope movements involving a

rotational component, utilizing either electrolytic sensors or
servo-accelerometers.

Advantages: light weight, simple operation, compact, low cost.

Sensitivity: typically ±10 arc seconds (±0.05mm/m)
Surface Measurements – Crackmeters

„ used to measure and monitor the opening of surface

fractures and tension cracks.
„ Advantages: simple, ideally suited for early warning
systems.
„ Sensitivity: <0.01mm with 50-100 mm range
Surface Measurements - DGPS
„ satellite measurements and base-stations at known locations are used
to provide simultaneous corrections and refinements to the computed
locations of one or several differential global positioning system
(DGPS) stations positioned on the slide body.
„ Advantages: automated, economical (especially over large areas).
„ Sensitivity: better than 1 cm in ideal conditions
Subsurface Measurements – Inclinometers
„ accelerometer type device used to measure inclination
along the borehole profile.
„ Advantages: can detect and monitor complex slope
deformations and displacements along multiple shear
planes.
„ Sensitivity: ±10 arc seconds (±0.05mm/m)
Inclinometer and Sliding Micrometer
„ TRIVEC and INCREX systems
for high-precision measurement
of extension or shortening along
borehole axis.
„ Linewise measurements are
made by positioning the sliding
micrometer probe between two
adjacent seating collars
(TRIVEC) or by measuring
electromagnetic inductance
between two steel rings
(INCREX) positioned at regular
intervals along the casing.
Measurements are repeated
every meter to obtain a strain
distribution along the length of
the measurement line.
Subsurface Measurements – Extensometers
„ extensometers measure the relative change in position
between several fixed points.
„ Advantages: simple to install, inexpensive, can measure
larger slope displacements than inclinometers.
„ Accuracy: ±0.01 mm/m
 Position Sensing Technologies
Technology Features Advantages Disadvantages
Potentiometric Linear and High-temperature use Uses contacts, Axially
nonlinear Temp. compensated large
No electronics Noisy output, Eventually
wears
Vibrating Linear High accuracy, Expensive
Stable, Large cable
Inductive Planar coil DT very precise Very susceptible to
rotary misalignment errors
LVDT linear DT very expensive
RVDT rotary
Magnetoresistive Linear High accuracy Uses magnets, low range

Magnetostrictive Linear Very accurate Expensive

applications Small package size
predominate
Fiber Optic Linear High Temp High cost
Absolute Large range >10000
Incremental High accuracy
Corrosion resistant
Multi Point Bore Hole Extensometers with VW sensor

ANCHORS
•Groutable
•Hydraulic
•Snap ring
•Packer
Magneto-strictive Sensor (Non-contact type)
Subsurface Measurements – TDR
„ Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) - uses
characteristics of returned electrical pulses to
determine the amount of strain, or the
existence of a rupture, in a coaxial cable.
Deformation Measurements of Tomorrow?
„ Fibre-Optics - light that is launched into and confined to
the fibre core propagates along the length of the fibre
unperturbed unless acted upon by an external influence.
Any disturbance of the fibre alters the guided light which
can then be related to the magnitude of the disturbing
influence.
Pore Pressure Measurements - Piezometers

Instrument Advantages Disadvantages

Open Standpipe Simple and reliable with a long Slow response time liable
piezometer or record of experience; no elaborate to freeze in cold
wellpoint recording terminal point required weather

Pressure sensor Location and elevation of terminal Humid air must be

piezometer - recording point are independent prevented from
Pneumatic of measuring tip location; can entering the
exhibit a rapid response measurement tubing
Pressure sensor Location and elevation of terminal Expensive; Temperature
piezometer – recording point are independent correction may be
Electric of measuring tip location; can required; errors may
exhibit a rapid response and high arise due to drift over
sensitivity; suitable for automatic longer observation
readout periods
Borehole Piezometers
„ the most common water-level
recording technique, despite the
availability of more sophisticated
methods, is the open standpipe
piezometers
Pneumatic Piezometers
„ consists of a sealed tip containing a pressure-
sensitive valve which balances an inlet-tube
pressure with the outer pore pressure. It has
the advantage of providing negligible time
lags, simplicity of operation and long-term
stability.
Electrical Piezometers
„ consists of a diaphragm, which
when deflected by pore pressures,
can be measured by an electrical
transducer (e.g. vibrating wire). Has
the advantage of a negligible time
lag and being extremely sensitive.
Acoustic Emissions/Microseismicity
„ AE/MS techniques rely on the detection of
low intensity, high frequency noises
emitted by landslide movements (i.e.
passive monitoring)
Load Cell & Its Typical
Application
Un-axial & Bi-axial Stress Cells
Pressure Cells