Duchesne River Crossing Vibration Monitoring Project Featured

The installation of a new utility line running 874 feet under the Duchesne River involved shoring with driven sheet piles and hammer boring that would come within a few feet of an existing high-pressure natural gas line. Monitoring the potential impact to this gas line from sheet pile driving and hammer boring so close by was mission-critical to the project being able to move forward safely.

"If we couldn't successfully monitor these vibrations, the project could grind to a halt," Michael Tinney, Chief Engineer at Kilduff Underground Engineering explained.

The challenges Tinney had to face were:

• The location was too remote to always have monitoring staff on-site
• Access to power
• Poor cell signal strength
• The gas line was below grade

Tinney decided to use Inzwa’s Veva III vibration monitor and Cloud platform for the project, since he needed a compact device he could place directly on the pipe underground, that had a long battery life, flexible antenna options, and that could provide him and the project team 24/7 visibility of the data in their offices over 100 miles away.

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Given its compact size and ability to auto-orient underground, he was able to place the Veva III directly on the gas line itself, ensuring the most accurate data possible. The device's flexible antenna option allowed him to attach a longer antenna to get the signal above grade. And, given the remote location's poor cell service, Inzwa worked with Tinney to reconfigure the device overnight to meet the challenging communication situation in Myton.

An extended antenna was used to allow the device to be buried and still access the available cell service. An orange hazard container was placed atop to signal construction crews of its location.

"The Inzwa personnel were fantastic at diagnosing the problem, communicating the solution and hand-holding us to get the project started successfully," Tinney stated.

The project's monitoring parameters required that the device run continuously for the two-month installation, where Veva III's fully integrated battery could support and the Cloud's dashboard provided automated reports and 24/7 remote visibility of all the data in real time, including battery life and cell signal strength.

"It took about an hour to get reporting set up and they were way better looking than any reports I had reviewed in the past. It was already pre-packaged and ready to go; I didn't really have to do anything, which was great." Tinney said. 

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