Acoustic consultancy work completed for Canary Wharf client

Last week one of our environmental teams were onsite at Canary Wharf completing acoustic consultancy work for our client in order to optimise their business operations.

 

The client requested that SIXENSE undertake noise and vibration level measurements and offer analysis and advice based on the acquired results, allowing them to make clearer, more decisive choices moving forwards.

 

SIXENSE offer a wide range of acoustic consultancy solutions for any size of project. With a team of experienced acousticians, airquality professionals and vibration experts available at every stage of your project, SIXENSE can assist with any potential Acoustic Consultancy needs.

 

We strive to provide objective and unbiased diagnostics and recommend solutions that strike the right balance between risks and goals, avoiding the trap of implementing excessive precautions which can often be unjustified and costly.

 

If you need to find out what solutions SIXENSE can offer for your NVAQ concerns, contact us and start a discussion with one of our professionals!

Innovation in the detection of structural problems of bridges

Acoustic monitoring of bridges

Artificial intelligence, technology and the ability to remotely monitor structures are some of the most modern and useful innovations to enter the construction industry in recent times.

This is particularly true in the field of structural and geotechnical monitoring. To check and maintain the long-term structural health and safety of assets, this field can utilise several highly effective methods with broad applicability, immediate operability and reliable efficiency.  

Acoustic monitoring of bridges is one of these innovations, aimed at accurately detecting any problems with structural cables in a non-invasive and efficient way. 

Our internationally experienced expert, Nicolas Cortes, explains how this technology can be used to maintain the structural safety of bridge projects; what the benefits are and how it works.

 

Nicolas Cortes, SHM Expert

 

Could you please describe the technology behind the acoustic structural monitoring of cable structures? How does it work specifically? 

The technology uses piezoelectric sensors designed to detect the noise (vibration in material) generated by the failure of a structural cable wire as it releases the energy stored during its tensionning. Sound travels within the infrastructure (similar in frequency range, but very different from a microphone that is used to record  sounds travelling in air).

 

SIXENSE’s system is designed to record  every sound produced within the structure. These recordings are made by each individual sensor with a highly accurate synchornisation (µs). An advanced triggering condition strategy ensures that only the  sounds of interest are recorded. These short-time recordings are called “events”.

 

Drawing on over 20 years of experience, we have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based filtering algorithm that pre-processes the events and retains only those that match the acoustic signatures of a wire break. In the final stage, an expert analyst confirms whether the event is an actual wire break. We use proprietary software with a localisation tool to analyse the events and identify where the event occurred.

 

The technology applies to the monitoring of all types of structural cables used in civil engineering (stay cables, post-tensioning cables, pre-tensioning cables, suspension cables, anchor cables, etc.).   

 

EverSense Acoustic

 

Why is acoustic structural monitoring important / mandatory for bridges? 

Acoustic monitoring is not mandatory. It is usually used in cases where corrosion or fatigue is suspected or found during inspections, and the structural cables (e.g. stay cables or post-tensioning cables used to increase the load-bearing capacity of a bridge) are at risk.

 

What are the risks to be  considered by public authorities/beneficiaries of these structures – if they do not implement acoustic structural monitoring on bridges? 

Partial or total structural  failure of the bridge is the main risk. Cables are designed to increase the load-bearing capacity of bridges, so failure of one or more cables can put the structure at risk. As a result, traffic restrictions or repair work may be necessary.   

 

What are the main benefits of implementing acoustic structural monitoring on bridges? Please comment on the expected outcomes and results.  

Acoustic monitoring makes it possible to follow the progressive degradation of structural cables, to prioritize maintenance on specific parts of the bridge, and in some cases decide whether the bridge is still safe to use (or within certain traffic load restrictions). It is a very valuable source of information for engineering departements to take into consideration.

Acoustic monitoring is usually  complementary to other NDT solutions in order to provide a complete picture of some key structural elements. It is the only technology available that has the sensitivity to detect and continuously monitor the event of a single wire break and to identify the structural element involved. No other technique can currently provide this level of sensitivity to damage, on a continuous monitoring basis.

 

What is the main way of working with this type of structural monitoring? How can it be used/adapated locally, in bridge projects? 

Ageing cabled-bridges, with a serious suspicion of corrosion or fatigue should be targeted. It may be possible to instrument only specific cables or a local section where specific ageing has been observed.This partial approach can optimise the cost of a system that could be expensive and not necessarily usefull if applied without prior consideration.

This monitoring can provide confidence in the rate of ageing (if few events are observed) or allow time to organise cable replacement (if significant damage is observed).

 

 

To discuss your monitoring requirements, pleace Contact Us.

INSAR ACR Install starts in the sunshine

Some of the Sixense UK team enjoyed the first day of summer, busy installing artificial corner reflectors (ACR) for an important satellite monitoring project. Our colleague from Sixense Iberia certainly brought the sunshine with her !

 

ACRs allows satellite monitoring to be highly effective even in rural areas where natural reflection from the ground surface can be more limited.

 

If you want to know more about satellite monitoring, please follow this link ro our ATLAS Insar page or Contact Us.

Work at Paddington Square continues

Paddington Square Development

Work at Paddington Square continues for SIXENSE with the monitoring of various assets. The new development includes 350,000 square ft of workspace, 100,000ft square ft of shopping and dining including a rooftop bar and restaurant, plus a 1.35 acre public square and art walk,  all in London’s Paddington, being developed by Sellar on behalf of Great Western Developments Ltd.

 

Sixense Surveyors
Sixense surveyors can undertake manual Precise Levelling and 3D Surveys

Assets monitored include the Royal Mail Group and London Underground tunnels, parts of the Paddington Square site, Network Rail and London Underground stations (including escalators & lift shafts) as well as buildings and pavements surrounding the development.

 

The monitoring regime includes manual and automated 3D surveys as well as precise levelling, inclinometer surveys and the use of remote sensors (tiltmeters, tiltbeams & optical displacement sensors).

 

The experience of SIXENSE installation and survey staff across multiple environments and monitoring techniques is being combined with our Geoscope software platform to provide our client with access to all monitoring data on an easy to access platform.

 

Construction is due to be complete in spring 2022.

 

You can find out more about Paddington Square here.

Environmental monitoring on Europe’s largest infrastructure project

HS2-C1-Environmental MonitoringSixense is excited to embark on the significant challenge of providing noise, vibration and air quality management services on a section of Europe’s largest infrastructure project, HS2. This section of the mega engineering project, delivered by Align JV, includes the route’s flagship 3.4km-long Colne Valley Viaduct, as well as the 15.8km-long Chiltern twin-tunnels.

 

The services to be provided by Sixense include a significant amount of monitoring, modelling and assessment work across the 10+ worksites, which will play a key role in the wider efforts to minimise environmental impacts throughout the 5-year build.

 

Within the first six weeks of our involvement, we have already installed 22no. noise and air quality monitoring stations, which are largely powered by sustainable-energy sources.

 

You can find out more about our involvement with HS2 C1 in our references section, here.

Thames Tideway Tunnel multi-disciplinary monitoring and engineering

Thames-Tideway-InSAR_2The advantages of a multidisciplinary monitoring and engineering company are being realised by our client on the Thames Tideway East section in London.

 

Sixense is providing geotechnical, structural and noise & vibration monitoring solutions along with specialist acoustic consultancy services, covering the project and third party assets.

 

Traditional monitoring methods are supplemented with geophysical techniques, concrete pathology testing and even Satellite radar interferometry providing an ‘eye in the sky’.

 

The resulting data is made available to the engineering teams through our Geoscope platform, allowing effortless analysis and comparison of complex data from these multiple sources.

 

 

 

Monitoring at the birthplace of Iron Maiden

Sixense are always ready to assist companies undertaking developments adjacent to critical infrastructure such as Network Rail or TfL assets and in this case the monitoring works included British musical heritage – the Cart & Horses pub; birthplace of Iron Maiden.

 

Working for iBuild Building Solutions, Sixense designed a value engineered monitoring solution to meet the requirements of the ground impact assessment and Network Rail standards for monitoring the track, OLE and adjacent retaining wall.

 

A Cyclops automated total station, situated in the grounds of the Cart & Horses pub, prisms and wireless tilt sensors were used to provide continuous data to Sixense’s Geoscope web-based data environment and weekly reports for Network Rail, ensuring the safety of  the adjacent infrastructure during the development works.

SHM on the Rion-Antirion Bridge

The Rion-Antirion Bridge in Greece is an exceptionally impressive structure built to endure extreme environmental conditions. Seismic and meteorological risks to its structural integrity must be continually monitored. Its operating concession holder Gefyra has entrusted Sixense with this task for more than 16 years.

From the construction phase onwards, the operating concession holder has needed to monitor the response of the bridge structure to its environment, and validate the assumptions made at the design stage. The ongoing monitoring of the aging structure enables decisions regarding whether the bridge can be reopened or requires maintenance closures following periods of extremely high winds or seismic events.

 

The Rion-Antirion Bridge: a structure under the microscope 

EverSense ®, our Structural Health Monitoring System (SHM), was designed and implemented by our teams at the time of construction. Since it opened to traffic in 2004, the 1,000 data acquisition channels of this system have enabled GEFYRA to record and characterize the behaviour of the structure and to detect changes in this behaviour, especially after exceptional events such as earthquakes or unusually high winds.

The monitoring system has been regularly maintained and upgraded since implementation. It now incorporates functions that enable real-time traffic management during seismic events or exceptionally high winds.

The EverSense system has made it possible to validate structural design data and coupled with the quality of data generated, has made it possible to allow traffic back safely onto the bridge promptly over 16 years of major environmental events.

 

The real-time monitoring system implemented by Sixense meant that we could analyse the huge amount of data needed to establish an overview of the structure and receive automated alerts immediately after the earthquake struck. The great advantage of the Sixense system is that it allows us to achieve significant improvements in safety, which is the most important thing from our perspective

Aris Stathopoulos, Structural Maintenance Manager at Gefyra SA/ VINCI Concessions for the Rion-Antirion Bridge in Greece

Crossrail’s Chief Executive congratulates Sixense

As the construction phase of the Crossrail project nears completion, Simon Wright OBE, Crossrail’s Project Director, personally thanks Sixense for the quality of our service.

 

We’re pleased to share his acknowledgments. Of particular note is his reference to Contract C704, the “mega-contract” where Sixense were appointed at short notice to intervene and takeover the delivery, commissioning, maintenance and operation of the project-wide monitoring system installed by our competitor, under contract C701.

 

“I would like to personally thank Sixense and specifically the team which has, over several years supported the delivery of Crossrail. Sixense’s contribution through the main C704 contract, through earlier contracts within our supply chain, and through your continued support with the satellite interferometry has proved invaluable.

 

As we approach the opening of Crossrail, one of the unseen successes of the project has been our ability to deliver the underground spaces without any appreciable settlement impact to the infrastructure above. This has represented one of the greatest delivery risks and we are indebted to Sixense for your skills, experience and professionalism in supporting our project.”

 

Sixense is very proud of this success, delivered by our teams’ hard work and know-how.

 

The appreciation reflected in Mr. Wright’s letter validates our approach to client relationships and our pursuit of excellence and ongoing research in the fields of construction related risk management and specialist engineering.

 

It provides us with growing confidence in the success of our current projects and our commitment and contribution to successfully deliver tomorrow’s construction projects.

Sixense awarded London Spire monitoring contract

Spire London will be Western Europe’s tallest residential tower, standing just over 235 metres tall, with 67 floors, and will offer unrivalled views across London and the Southeast.

 

As part of this development, Sixense have been awarded the contract to carry out environmental and structural monitoring works related to the construction of the foundations.

 

The structural monitoring consists of 110 retro targets measured twice a week from approximately 10 different manual survey setups to monitor the movement of structures around the site including 2 listed buildings of West India Quay’s historic waterside: the Arch and the West India Gate. Manual inclinometers readings, which are also part of the overground monitoring package are expected to start in November 2017.

 

On the environmental side, Sixense are assisting Bachy Soletanche in obtaining their Section 61 consent prior to the commencement of their works, and implement an environmental monitoring scheme during the construction.

 

The construction noise and dust emissions are now controlled by noise and dust monitors. In addition, a geophone has been installed on site to protect a Thames Water asset, and within the adjacent Museum of London Docklands, two vibration monitors ensure that the large collection of historical artefacts, models and pictures are not disturbed during the demolition and piling operations.

 

All the structural and environmental data is presented in our new Geoscope web platform including the recent new features: noise dose calculation, static web page including information on the project and the monitoring status.

 

Part of the strategy associated with winning the above contract was the ability to get involved in monitoring two new Crossrail Tunnels that pass directly under the site. We are glad to announce that we have now secured this work and our first monitoring project on Crossrail assets begins soon!

 

A total of four CYCLOPS Automatic Stations located in the Eastbound and Westbound Crossrail tunnels will be installed next month, which will monitor 200 prisms positioned on 32 tunnel rings for the next 18 months.