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Safer, more reliable monitoring

Wireless monitoring solutions for railway track, earthworks and structures

Whether you are involved in railway construction or operation, you will need to measure and assess the attributes and performance of railway assets at some point in their lifecycle.

IF YOU CAN MEASURE IT, YOU CAN MANAGE IT

  1. Quick and Easy

    Wireless tiltmeters and other sensors are installed in minutes and typically last for 10 to 15 years. Most installations are done by non-specialists.

  2. Robust

    Use solutions that are tested, approved and proven at remote sites with no fixed (mains) power supply and that are sufficiently robust to stand up to most weather conditions, rail traffic and maintenance operations.

  3. Improve safety, save money

    Remote monitoring means fewer site visits, reducing risk and cost.

  4. Early warning – for safer railways

    Don’t wait for a train driver or member of the public to report debris on the track - detect ground or structural movement as it happens.

  5. Predict and prevent

    Identify long-term trends to keep infrastructure in use for longer, and target precious maintenance resources where they are most needed.

Five reasons to choose wireless remote monitoring

Track monitoring – measure changes in track geometry including rail cant, twist, superelevation and settlement

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Slope monitoring – get early warning of landslides, rockfall or subsidence to prevent disruption and danger

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Bridge monitoring – prevent failure through structural health monitoring

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Tunnel monitoring – understand ground and structural behaviour during construction and operation

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Construction monitoring – manage your liabilities to third parties using sensors that are discreet and non-disruptive

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How it works

Explore our interactive railway model

 
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Vibrating Wire Sensor Node with Piezometer

The Vibrating Wire Sensor Node supports a variety of interface sensors such as crack, strain gauges and extensometers. Here it is connected to a piezometer and prevents the need for manual logging by transmitting data on pore water pressure and groundwater level variations.

InfraGuardTM

Wireless tilt sensors are mounted on stakes. The sensors detect rotational movements and send scheduled data reports. Sudden movement events are also detected as they happen, regardless of the pre-set sampling schedule.

When thresholds are breached, sampling is accelerated, and nearby nodes are triggered to accelerate reporting.

When a camera is integrated into the system, photographs are taken on a scheduled basis and when triggered by sudden movement.

NanoMacro Triaxial Tilt Sensor Nodes

Wireless tilt sensors installed on trackbed can measure rail track heave/differential settlement, cant and twist. With no external antenna and a durable shell, the Nano is ideal for the most challenging environments.

Millivolt Sensor Node

The Millivolt Sensor Node enables a variety of structural and geotechnical sensors to be integrated into a wireless monitoring system. Strain gauges on trackbed are just one example. A node cap helps protect the antenna from passing track workers.

PT100 RTD Sensor Node

The PT100 RTD Sensor Node enables precise temperature monitoring and critical rail temperature alerting. Can be supplied with an integrated High-G triaxial tilt sensor for combined tilt and temperature monitoring.

FlatMesh 4G Gateway

The FlatMesh 4G Gateway provides all the functionality required to operate a wireless sensor network in a remote location. With a solar panel, no fixed power supply is required. Data is transmitted from the sensors to the Gateway and onwards to a secure cloud-based server and data management platform.

4G Camera

The FlatMesh 4G Camera is a high resolution camera that is able to take great quality black and white photos of your site day or night. The camera can be set to take photos at regular intervals, on demand or most interestingly, when triggered by movements detected in nearby sensors.

FlexiMeasure

FlexiMeasure is a lightweight Inclinometer that can be installed in any orientation; segments can be connected to form a chain of flexibly coupled triaxial sensors. Here it can be seen measuring/monitoring changes in the profile of the tunnel wall.

Optical Displacement Sensor Node (ODS)

The ODS combines a tilt meter and a laser displacement sensor. Together they provide information about the stability of the structure the sensor is fixed to and relative movement of a target structure.

Here it is measuring convergence of the tunnel intrados.

Crack Sensor Node

The Crack Sensor Node is used to monitor structural movement including crack movement, expansion joint movement and pile separation. Here it is monitoring the movement of a crack on the tunnel headwall.

Digital Interface Node

The Digital Interface Node is a wireless digital data logger that enables automated sampling. It is compatible with many types of sensor that carry a digital output. Interact and manage your data online and change reporting times and thresholds remotely.

The Digital Interface Node is compatible with InfraGuardTM. Choose this responsive reporting option when you need dynamic reporting. This means your sensors can be self-managing tools that react to changing site conditions. Features include accelerated sampling, triggered site photos and escalated alerting, with near real-time notifications.

Track Monitoring
Earthworks & Embankments
Tunnels, Bridges and other Structures
Track Monitoring

Wireless monitoring helps you assess long term trends to optimise maintenance, and detect sudden movement that could represent a safety issue.

Clients around the world choose Senceive solutions when they need real-time insight into changes in track geometry. They know they can trust the technology to deliver precise, reliable data in tough trackbed conditions. And they welcome the quick, simple installation process that helps reduce the risks associated with boots on ballast.

Use a combination of tilt nodes, temperature sensors, optical displacement sensors and strain gauges to monitor track movement and the causes of that movement – without leaving your desk.

Earthworks & Geotechnical

Senceive technology is the natural choice when you need to monitor railway earthworks or automate geotechnical logging.

Using a single integrated wireless platform you can understand the behaviour of structures and the ground they are built on, and interacting with.

Use wireless monitoring to automate logging of ground movement and geotechnical parameters in vertical and horizontal boreholes.

Monitor railway earthworks such as cuttings and embankments for early warning of landslips and failures and automated alerts to asset owners in the event of potentially dangerous situations before any material encroaches on the railway track.

Using unique and proven intelligent monitoring technology you can be confidant that next time the ground moves, the trains can be stopped.

Tunnels, Bridges and other Structures

Use wireless technology to monitor bridges, tunnels, buildings and other structures such as electrification gantries and retaining walls.

Our technology is chosen by rail engineers throughout the asset lifecycle. During construction, our range of robust, highly portable sensors can safeguard the structures being built and manage risk to third parties.

And on operational structures, remote monitoring can support your asset management by identifying where significant movement is taking place and intervention is needed.

It can also characterise structural movement that is within acceptable bounds and therefore prevent unnecessary intervention.

Helping you manage risk and extend the life of rail structures.

Compare wireless with other options
 Method
 Cost-effectiveness
 Safety Benefit *
 Frequency of measurement
Data management 
Reliability and ease of use  
 Visual inspection/survey
 ✓
 ✓
 ✓
 ✓
 ✓✓
 Train based survey e.g. RILA, New Measurement Train
 ✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓✓
 ✓
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓
 Trolley-based surveys using 3D scanners or lidar
 ✓✓✓
 ✓
 ✓
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓
 Fixed survey, e.g. AMTS, automatic total station
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓
 ✓✓
 Aerial survey, e.g. drone with lidar & imaging
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓
 ✓✓
 ✓✓✓
 Wireless remote condition monitoring
 ✓✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓
 ✓✓✓✓

The intention is to summarise the relative merit of different approaches to measure changes in asset condition for a nominal one kilometre of railway over a one year period.

* Safety benefit refers to the data acquisition process

** Data quality – precision, accuracy, repeatability, range of information collected

For optimal viewing, this table is best viewed on larger devices.
Click the image above to view the table as an image.

Different approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. Geodetic and optical survey methods using automated total stations and rail clip prisms, for example, provide precise data from specific points, but require electrical power supply, have cables that are prone to damage and use expensive instruments that are vulnerable to theft.

Your challenges will change with each rail project. To provide a comprehensive picture of conditions above and below ground level, Senceive’s intelligent monitoring can be combined with optical survey methods including total stations (AMTS), scanners and lidar or Amberg rail trolleys to provide assurance and redundancy for the most critical locations.

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Preparing for Summer - Monitoring temperature related track defects

The Superior Reliability of Wireless Condition Monitoring in Extreme Cold Weather

Independent testing advances Senceive remote monitoring for track geometry

  • UPRR Track Monitoring during Chicago O’Hare Airport Runway 9R-27L Expansion Project
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    How Senceive’s technology was used to monitor construction of utility conduit bored under UPRR tracks.

  • Minneapolis Light Rail Transit System
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    How Terracon successfully deployed wireless rail track monitoring on freight track adjacent to cut-and-cover construction to improve consistency of data capture and information quality.

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    How large-scale deployment of InfraGuard™ intelligent wireless monitoring provides early warning of slope failures

    Read our brochure for more about remote monitoring for rail

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    Track record

    Senceive remote monitoring solutions are approved and trusted by internationally respected rail organisations who rely on tens of thousands of sensors installed on track, structures and earthworks.

    Get in touch with an expert

    With expert partners and distributors across the globe, we’ll put you in touch with the right person to help.