Motion sensors
Rockfall protection barriers can only provide reliable protection, if they are well maintained and inspected after rockfall events. Motion sensors are mounted to the barriers to provide insightful data about the condition in order to keep maintenance costs to a minimum. In addition, they serve as an alarm system in case of rockfall, indicating exactly where the rockfall happened.
⇒ Advantages
⇒ System description
⇒ Applications
⇒ Additional technologies
Advantages
- Lowers cost of barrier maintenance
- Provides additional safety feature due to alarm capabilities
- Sends alarms messages directly to smartphones
- Large coverage can be achieved by combining multiple sensors and relay stations
- Easy installation
- Low maintenance sensors
- Sensor battery life of 10+ years
System description
The monitoring system is composed of multiple motion sensors, a receiving station and an online data portal. The system can cover hundreds of meters of protection barriers (e.g. protection netting).
The sensors register even the smallest changes in position and transmit these to the receiving stations at defined intervals. If a rock fall event is detected, the sensors automatically send out an alarm.
The receiving station consists of the actual receiver, data analysis and communication components (relay station, GSM/GPRS modem for SMS and radio connection). The station receives the signals from sensors that can be mounted at several hundred meters distance, and this distance can be increased by using relay stations. The data is processed on site and the system triggers alarm messages that is transmitted to the desired recipients via LAN connection, SMS, email and FTP Data.
The data for every sensor is visualized in the online data portal so that authorized users can access position data and status information at all times – from their computers, smartphones or tablets.
The system is often fitted with trigger lines that enlarge the area each sensor monitors and provide an additional level of protection and monitoring.
Applications
Motion sensors are employed to monitor protection barriers and netting near roads, railway lines, power plants, or above residential and industrial areas as well as oil and gas pipelines. A monitoring system can cover several hundred meters.
Customer projects:
The motion sensors are mounted to the net supports of the rock fall nets and measure changes to the position of the support as well as rock hitting the net.
Data visualization in the data portal: Each circle represents one sensor. Green indicates normal status, and circles turn red as soon as a sensor has detected an event. The same graph can also display the sensor angle, battery status and the quality of the radio connection. If a user moves the mouse over a circle, all data is shown.
Additional technologies
These technologies are often combined with motion sensors: