Abstract:
The capabilities of Level 3 Grout Monitoring Systems have grown with improvements in computing, communications, and sensor technology. To date, advances in Level 3 systems have focused on realtime data analysis and display. Alarms are mostly limited to triggering when operational parameters go outside of specified limits, identifying when injection refusal criteria are reached or notifying the operator of abnormal pressure conditions. When alarms are integrated with an immersive 3D user interface, the operator can quickly visualize where the alarm was triggered and see operating conditions near the alarm, which gives additional context for rapid diagnosis and response. Alarm ‘ shelving’ allows operators to manage alarms in a controlled fashion, and alarm metrics capture ‘ human factors’ information so alarm designs can be adjusted to prevent operator overload. Integrations with third-party geotechnical or structural monitoring systems can use alarms from their specialized analyses as inputs to more sophisticated trigger conditions which can address increasing infrastructure safety requirements on major dam projects. This paper details how progress in alarm system design is being leveraged in grout monitoring systems to enhance real-time capabilities, bringing important information to the operator’ s attention in a way that helps them identify abnormal situations quickly and respond effectively. Design options are presented for more advanced alarms, and improvements over conventional alarms are demonstrated by comparing conventional alarm outputs from a legacy grout monitoring system against advanced alarm outputs from a next-generation system reacting to real-world scenarios.