Structures Monitoring

Economic growth requires adequate infrastructure in order to meet its full potential. Infrastructure control and management are becoming key issues in the approach to sustainable development of modern countries. In this framework, infrastructure health monitoring is representing one of the most valuable tools for the decision making process. Accurate and timely measurements of the displacements and deformations undergone by structures are highly valuable information for structural engineers and infrastructures managers because they can leverage on reliable data to assess the health status of structures. The ability to predict and react to potential problems before they develop, helps in the short-term maintenance and long-term renewal, in the reduction of insurance costs and the prevention of catastrophic failures.

The cost of high-precision geodetic-class GNSS instruments typically used for structure monitoring is still high and limits the possibility of asset monitoring to just a small number of points. GReD’s cost-effective systems allow for a continuous and detailed monitoring of all the structural elements that need to be controlled.

Sensors are deployed at key points on the structure to be monitored, and their data are processed by GReD own software to quantify their displacements. The sensors are based on GNSS technology. While standard GNSS stations are typically quite expensive, GReD has developed, in collaboration with Softeco, a proprietary cost-efficient solution which allows deploying a higher number of monitoring points, thus providing a more comprehensive control over the whole structure. The data processing engine developed by GReD guarantees state-of-the-art results, while the monitoring units allow to log and transmit data from a variety of additional sensors, with either digital or analog interfaces.