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Geotechnical News June 2011
GEOTECHNICAL INSTRUMENTATION NEWS
to a data logger. The data logger
takes readings every twenty min-
utes. Then, once an hour, a PC re-
trieves readings from the data log-
ger and forwards a data file to the
monitoring system. The monitoring
software checks the readings and,
seconds later, issues an alarm. In
this scenario, response time could
be as long as one hour. Is that good
enough?
If the intent of monitoring is evalu-
ating performance, then a response
time of minutes or even hours is
probably acceptable. Alarms, in this
case, are meant to focus attention
on disturbing trends so that correc-
tive actions can be taken. However,
if intent of monitoring is to warn of
a sudden event, such as a mudslide
or a rockfall, then a response time of
just a few seconds is required. This
is the domain of dedicated, real-
time monitoring systems with rapid
reading rates, in-logger processing,
and on-site alarms.
Fiber-Optic Sensing Systems
In December 2010 GIN, page 32, I
tabulated eight commercial sources of
fiber-optic sensing systems. Table 2
gives three more:
Table 2. More commercial
sources of fiber-optic sensing
systems
Company
Name and
Country
Website
Fibersensing,
Portugal
www.
fibersensing.
com
Laser Solutions,
Russia
Marmota,
Switzerland
.
com
Instrumentation Courses in
Florida
There appears to be ongoing interest
in these courses—for the April 2011
course there were 76 registrants
from 14 different countries. The next
course is planned for March or April
2013. Information will be on http://
conferences.dce.ufl.edu/geotech in late
summer next year.
Next International Symposium
on Field Measurements in
Geomechanics (FMGM)
As many of you will know, FMGM
symposia are organized every four
years, the previous one being in Boston
in September 2007. They are “the
places to be” for folks in our club.
The next FMGM will be in Berlin,
Germany on September 12-16, 2011.
Information is on
.
org. I’ve just seen the detailed program
which, at the time of writing, is not
yet on the web. LOTS of papers and
presentations about new and emerging
technologies! Worthwhile to join us.
Corporate Changes
There have recently been three of these:
Applied Geomechanics
Founded in 1982 by Dr. Gary
Holzhausen, Applied Geomechanics
Inc. (AGI) began as a tiltmeter
manufacturing company in Santa
Cruz, California. After 25 years in
the manufacturing industry, AGI was
purchased by Pinnacle Technologies,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Carbo
Ceramics (NYSE:CRR). In the summer
of 2007 AGI moved its headquarters
from Santa Cruz to San Francisco,
California, joining Pinnacle’s base
of operations. Pinnacle, a service
company working in the oil and gas
sector, purchased AGI to expand its
instrumentation services into the civil
engineering and mining markets. As
a result of the merger, AGI added a
variety of cutting-edge technologies,
such as precision GPS and fiber
optics, to its instrument and service
product lines. In the fall of 2008, Carbo
Ceramics sold Pinnacle Technologies
to Halliburton, but retained AGI to
further its growth.
Today AGI continues to sell preci-
sion equipment and services to a range
of markets including volcanology,
mining, heavy construction, bridges,
and astronomy. AGI is currently head-
quartered in San Francisco, California
with satellite offices in Denver, Chi-
cago and Boston. Current management
comprises: Gary Holzhausen, General
Manager; Jeff Keller, Sales Manager;
Jeff Crook, Engineering Manager;
Tom Weinmann, Manager of Struc-
tural Health Monitoring; Alan Jones,
Manager of Special Projects. For more
information, please visit our website at
.
Durham Geo Slope Indicator
Durham Geo Slope Indicator is a
leading manufacturer of geotechnical
instruments,
materials
testing
equipment, and environmental pumps.
The company has ISO-certified
manufacturing and R&D operations
in Georgia and Washington states in
the USA, and its products are used
worldwide by consulting engineers and
scientists, universities, government
agencies, research laboratories, and
civil and environmental construction
companies.
In September 2009, DGSI be-
came part of Nova Metrix LLC fur-
ther strengthening the brand and sig-
nificantly expanding the company’s
reach. For more information on Nova
Metrix and Durham Geo Slope Indica-
tor, please visit the company’s websites
at
and www.
slopeindicator.com.
Roctest
On December 10th 2010, Nova
Metrix LLC, through a wholly owned
subsidiary (“Nova Metrix”), completed
the acquisition of Roctest Ltd. and its
subsidiaries, Smartec SA, Telemac
SAS, FISO Technologies Inc. and
EnOmFra SAS (“Roctest”).
Nova Metrix is a privately held com-
pany based in Woburn, Massachusetts,
USA. Nova Metrix, through its sub-
sidiaries and affiliates, designs, manu-
factures and markets test and measure-
ment instrumentation solutions.
Nova Metrix, which also owns
Durham Geo Slope Indicator, repre-
sents one of the largest producers and
suppliers of instrumentation solutions
for geotechnical and structural health
monitoring. Nova Metrix has combined
the extensive experience and expertise
in traditional sensing techniques, fiber
optic sensing, system integration, and
data analysis.
