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Details of Movement Gauges

Accuracy

Movement Gauges need to be read to 0.1mm or better with the aim of providing useful data to within a range of 0.2mm or better.

The latest gauges are specifically designed for this purpose and have been manufactured in America with laser cutting technology; with prepared fixings, sturdy material and required accuracies. The professional and user-friendly product design has been developed by a team of Senior Engineers and is based on ten years' experience in this method of structural monitoring.

The gauges have the following characteristics:

• Laser cut to an accuracy of 0.1mm over their 120mm length.
• Scales mounted on the surface of the bevelled edges for readings at an acute angle from either direction.
• Graduations of 0.5mm along both edges.
• Scales along each edge to allow mean readings to be deduced and the angle of inclination of the gauge to be checked so that a correction can be made.
• Graduations of 0.2mm down the centre of the gauge for readings to two decimal places in ideal situations.
• Vertically orientated numerals.
• Predrilled to take 3mm masonry nails.
• Ultraviolet stable.
• 120mm long clear gauges to reduce impact for aesthetic reasons and to reduce risk of vandalism, while still allowing tolerance for setting up the level.

Advantages & Timescales For Movement Gauges

The gauges give specific data on foundation movements in a similar manner to "precise levelling" but in a more cost effective manner.

Works associated with foundations tend to be very expensive and should only be recommended on definite data. Care should be taken when basing analysis only on crack monitoring as cracks are an indication of the damage and do not generally directly indicate foundation movements. A major benefit of the Movement Gauges is that they are able to pick up even small foundation movements in isolation from other structural movements. The monitoring process can therefore provide fast and specific data from which the characteristics of the ground movements can be deduced. This gives the potential to cut monitoring periods to just a few weeks.

References

1. Paper from Third International Conference of Forensic Engineering, organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) November 2005, "Foundation Monitoring Techniques: Are They All They Are Cracked Up To Be?"
2. "Has Your House Got Cracks?", The Institution of Civil Engineers & Building Research Establishment 1995.
3. "Subsidence of Low Rise Buildings", The Institution of Structural Engineers, Second Edition, August 2000.
4. Paper:"Movement Gauges: Direct Monitoring of Foundations" The Structural Engineer. 21st March 2006
   Published by the Institution of Structural Engineers.