Aberdeen University

University of Bradford

Other

National Research Development Corporation

Albert Alexander Rodger

Gavin Stuart Littlejohn

Richard David Neilson

James Penman

A ground anchorage testing arrangement having an impulse imparting apparatus connectable to a ground anchorage tendon ( ) or element thereof to be tested, the impulse imparting apparatus comprising an attachment means ( ) for attachment to the ground anchorage tendon ( ), a movable mass ( ), a guide ( ) for guiding movement of the mass in the direction substantially aligned with the axis of the ground anchorage to be tested and a drive means for imparting a driving force to move the mass in said direction (not shown). A method of assessing the integrity of ground anchorages, the method comprising the steps of (a) imparting a load impulse to a ground anchorage tendon to be tested, (b) monitoring the vibrational response signal of the anchorage to the imparted load impulse, (c) conditioning the vibrational response signal and (d) applying the conditioned vibrational response signal to an artificial neural network.

Ground anchorage testing apparatus

The invention provides a ground sensing system (,) comprising: sensing means (,) located, in use, on a projectile being driven through ground by means of apparatus having a self adjustment between a vibration mode and a vibro-impact mode according to encountered ground resistance, the sensing means sensing the dynamic resistance of the ground that the projectile is passing through; signal processing means for processing the output of said sensing means to provide a dynamic resistance waveform (,); and waveform recognition means (,) for correlating said dynamic resistance waveform with stored dynamic waveforms for identifying a ground characteristic. The waveform recognition means may comprise a neural network system.

Moling apparatus and a ground sensing system therefor

Moling apparatus

A method and apparatus for monitoring the condition of a ground anchorage including a tendon arranged in a bore in a group formation at a site is characterized by detecting the vibrational response signature of the anchorage to an impulse load. The vibrational response signature to the impulse is recorded and compared with a reference signature from which any changes in the integrity of the anchorage can be determined.

Integrity assessment of ground anchorages

Method and apparatus for driving projectiles into the ground to acquire useful information about the soil and underlying strata of the earth. The projectile is attached to an oscillating hammer by a resilient spring-mass-spring connection whereby the hammer exerts a cyclically-varying force upon the projectile either with or without direct contact, change between the non-contact and contact modes taking place automatically in response to changes in ground resistance. A remotely-adjustable resilient stop, for instance in the form of a controllable gas spring, may supplement the spring-mass-spring connection and be operable to vary the characteristics of the connection between the hammer and the projectile during use. Also the projectile may be in the form of a hollow coring tube adapted to take core samples and the apparatus may be equipped with instruments which, as core samples are taken, simultaneously give an output indicating the resistance of the ground to penetration by the projectile.

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Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Albert Alexander Rodger