Geotechnical News December 2010
25
Geotechnical Instrumentation News
a “Tensional Bellows Pressure
Transducer” and, with three co-
workers, a patent for a “Method
and Apparatus for Measuring
in
situ
Strain and Stress of Con-
crete.” After retiring, Alex often
returned to Shannon & Wilson to
help with projects that needed his
special expertise.
Alex was an accomplished ama-
teur photographer, an avid read-
er, and enjoyed a lively discus-
sion. Once you met Alex, you did
not forget him.
I worked with Alex on several proj-
ects, and can echo “ever the innovator”
and “brilliant mind”. Our instrumenta-
tion community will miss him.
A Breathtaking Experience
Have you seen the movie
The Bucket
List?
I started my list, with
Safari
as
Item One. The Masai Mara in Kenya. A
most extraordinary experience, beating
Taj Mahal, Giza pyramids, Grand
Canyon, Niagara Falls et al at al. Lions,
elephants, cheetahs, buffalos, giraffes
(and many more) galore, often as close
as 15 feet from the 4WD. And those
idiotic wildebeests, crossing the Mara
River as part of the annual migration
of 1.3 million of their brethren. Large
numbers don’t make it – they either
drown or become dinner for the
crocodiles. Spectacular! Go gotta go! If
you’d like specific suggestions, please
let me know.
Enjoy the wonderful Kenya
welcome song “Jambo Bwana”
(Hello sir) on
watch?v=fK0wPpLryc4, and learn
some Swahili too!
Closure
Please send contributions to this
column, or an article for GIN, to me as
an e-mail attachment in MSWord, to
, or by
mail: Little Leat, Whisselwell, Bovey
Tracey, Devon TQ13 9LA, England.
Tel. +44-1626-832919.
Maisha marefu! (Swahili, “Long life”
– Kenya of course!)
Fundamentals of Instrumentation
Geotechnical Database Management –
Things to Consider
David Cook
Introduction
The purpose of this article is to identify
elements of geotechnical monitoring
databases: collection, verification,
storage, visualisation and dissemination
of monitoring data, which need to be
considered. This should allow users to
make more informed decisions early
in the procurement process. There
are no right or wrong answers, only
a determination of need related to
specific project requirements.
This is not a checklist, but it dis-
cusses instrumentation, software and
hardware elements to be considered.
Inevitably it is not a discussion of how
to achieve these results technically, but
indicates the outcomes required. It is
a personal list, and others’ experience
may identify different considerations
which are more important for their situ-
ation.
The editor with new friends.
