When a new bridge is being built adjacent to an existing one, there are a number of safety concerns. In particular the deformation and stress factor imposed on the existing bridge during construction.
This typically involves the establishment of control points in the surrounding area or bridge abutments. A number of measurement points are installed on both sides of the bridge. These points are placed specifically according to the structure.
Due to bridge orientation some points may not be observable with the human eye under certain conditions, e.g. when the sun is low on the horizon. The measurement is important and must be made, this limitation of the human eye is now supported by the TCA2003 Automated total station.
When combined with the APSWin the monitoring system measurement and analysis is automated. The user can specify measurement times of predetermined points sets, 6 times daily. Remote system control is possible via telephone modem, measure from the comfort of the office. Typical control point deviations are below 1mm.
This system replaces a labor intensive manual method that was slower, less accurate, less repeatable and required frequent access to highly restricted area.
