Product category:
Technical Equipment
News Release from: Osmos | Subject: OSMOS Construction Safety System
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 17 August 2004
Structural Health Monitoring Via The
Internet
OSMOS Construction Safety System enables Structural Health Monitoring via the internet.
When the New York City Department of Transportation decided to launch a stiffening campaign on the Manhattan Bridge after observing movements between the suspension cables and the vertical truss members, it needed to monitor the structural behavior of the bridge while the work was being completed The solution was brought in by the French company OSMOS that, for over fifteen years, has been developing monitoring systems for safety surveillance and is now the leading solution provider of fiber optic technology for structural health monitoring (SHM)
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 17 Apr 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
OSMOS system keeps watchful eye on structures
Osmos system is based on fibre-optic technology and provides permanent monitoring for the target structure.
Fiber optics system keeps Eiffel Tower safe
For the last ten years the Osmos system has been used to continuously monitor the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Its sensor-aided system for monitoring industrial installations, bridges, historic buildings, hydraulic engineering and other structures is used by building contractors and owners, operators, structural engineers, architects, and inspection authorities around the world.
The safety system allows users to monitor all structural changes over the short-term, by leasing equipment for specific projects as well as over the long-term, by permanently integrating components into or on the structure.
It provides ongoing risk surveillance, quality assurance during construction work and early detection of defects while reducing maintenance costs.
Further reading
Thinc Projects engaged on Stratford City Project
Thinc Projects Limited has been engaged to undertake the project management of the design phase of the one of the largest mixed-use developments in the UK.
Pavadentro - NBT new woodfibre insulation board
Natural Building Technologies has launched an innovative new woodfibre insulation board targeted specifically at the repair and refurbishment markets.
Heavy duty power for heavy duty welding
ESAB's latest Origo Mig 4002c, 5002c and 6502c units are robust, switching converter (chopper) power sources designed for heavy duty welding applications.
The OSMOS system is used to continually measure static and dynamic structural loads and stress cycles as well as the resulting effects on material and buildings.
Changes in shape and position can be monitored to the highest degree of precision, making it possible to forecast the behavior of the structure being inspected.
The complete system consists of a monitoring station that captures, transmits and records the incoming data, without any amplification or transformation, from sensors installed in or on the structure to be inspected.
This station contains a master unit that performs all the necessary network functions and a slave unit that carries out data measurement.
Measured values can be displayed on X-Y graphs, polar graphs, bar charts or as dashboards (threshold values with alarm levels).
All data can be saved, evaluated and displayed in real time, and information can be communicated to users by phone, fax, e-mail, the Internet, SMS (cell phone Short Message Service) or SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).
Data can also be exported for further processing and managed directly via an Internet browser.
OSMOS has developed specific fiber optic sensors that reach the level of measurement of the micron and have a twenty-year warranty.
The system, however, is universal and can integrate all other sensors available on the market.
The station will capture all data.
Currently, the company monitors 475 sites on a permanent basis.
For example, the OSMOS system has been used to monitor the Eiffel Tower since 1993 as well as the Channel Tunnel between France and the UK, and the Nagoya power plant in Japan.
It is also monitoring several structures in the United States including the Manhattan Bridge, Federal Hall and the American Express Building in New York City.
New York City's Department of Transportation is using it to monitor the Manhattan Bridge's structural behavior during a stiffening work campaign.
For this project, Urbitran (an OSMOS affiliate) installed two optical inclinometers to detect and measure inclinations of the deck on a horizontal axis (north-south), two optical extensometers to detect and measure inclinations of the deck on the vertical axis, one temperature sensor, one Urbitran Monitoring Station on site and one optical link cable network.
With this instrumentation, the client was able to track both general structural as well as event-specific behavior, such as the deformation caused by the passing of a subway train.
The OSMOS system is also being used to observe the Federal Hall structure during geotechnical work in the immediate vicinity and conduct preventive monitoring of the possible effects of current geotechnical work.
OSMOS installed a monitoring system consisting of four optical strands of 15.4 ft.
long over the door lintels near the rotunda on the first and second floors, four vertical-horizontal optical strands that form the "OSMOS global tiltmeter" in the basement, one horizontal 24 ft.
long optical strand along with one triaxial accelerometer and five crack watcher X-Triggers at the sub-basement level, and one temperature sensor on each of the four levels.
Since the monitoring system was installed and operational for several months before the geotechnical work began, OSMOS was able to gather the data necessary to understand the structure's behavior in "neutral" circumstances.
This reference state will serve as a basis for the interpretation of any possible changes in its behavior during the geotechnical work.
Last but not least, American Express used the system to monitor its 53- story building following heavy structural damage sustained by the collapse of the adjacent World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
After the disaster, OSMOS quickly installed four optical strands on corner bay spandrel beams on the 25th and 26th floors to detect both east-west and north-south movements, one temperature sensor and one monitoring station.
This instrumentation enabled American Express to evaluate the structure's behavior to determine immediate safety concerns and, from a long-term perspective, to produce reliable and precise data to serve as a basis for a repair and rebuilding program.
In reference to the latter project, Kenneth Holden, Commissioner of the City of New York thanked the company with this quote: "I want to thank you very much for the significant volunteer effort made by OSMOS to help The City of New York and its Department of Design and Construction to respond to the consequences of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.
The sensors that OSMOS installed at and around the World Trade Center site were an important tool for assessing the structures of 3 World Financial Center (AMEX) and 130 Liberty Street (Bankers Trust)." About OSMOS.
Created in 1990 as a R and D company, OSMOS is based in both France and Germany.
After its monitoring system reached maturity, the company has started manufacturing specific equipment for it and it has proven to be the most effective and least expensive structural health monitoring system on the market.
OSMOS will continue improving it while designing adapted solutions.
Commercial development will now be handled by new affiliates with the technical and commercial support of OSMOS.
The company is currently seeking business contacts in both the United States and Canada.
• Osmos: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Buildingtalk email newsletter
• Buildingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
