In the second video in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics series, Professor John Burland describes that soils are made up of individual particles - this is fact is fundamental to the understanding of soil behaviour.

Prof Burland is based at Imperial College London and has worked on hundreds of interesting projects, the most famous of which was stabilising the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

In this video Prof Burland demonstrates how all soils, be they gravel, sand, or silt are made up of individual particles. Even clay, which is stiff to handle, can be dried out and when put under an electron microscope, can be seen to be made of particles. Using a simple demonstration, Prof Burland shows how a soil's ability to resist loads is generated by shearing resistance at the particle contacts. 

Learning outcomes
This video will help learners answer questions such as:

• What are soils are made of?
• Is clay made of particles?
• How do soils get their strength?
• How do soils resist load.

About the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics Series
This video is part of the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics series, funded by the Ove Arup Foundation, in which Professor John Burland draws on his many years of practice in geotechnical engineering and teaching to provide listeners with what he regards to be the key knowledge that geotechnical engineers need to understand about soil mechanics in engineering practice. 

More engineering teaching resources available on www.expeditionworkshed.org

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

Credits
Written and presented by: Prof John Burland, Imperial College, London.
Concept design: http://www.thinkup.org/ 
Graphic design: http://thomasmatthews.com/ 
Direction/Production: http://www.ariesfilms.com/
Source: Expedition Workshed - www.expeditionworkshed.org

​World-leading geotechnical engineer Professor John Burland introduces viewers to the world of soil mechanics. This is the first in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics series: the key things a civil engineer needs to created to understand about soil mechanics.

To declare that the scale of MINExpo is humongous doesn’t even begin to paint a full picture of the event. With over 1,900 exhibitors taking up more than 840,000 sq.ft, of exhibitor space in the Las Vegas Convention Center, the enormity in terms of raw numbers is evident, but that scale goes beyond those numbers. It’s fairly safe to say the show brings together the people, tools and expertise from every corner of the mining industry.

Those tools are what ended up being the most monumental aspect of the event though, as the bulldozers, excavators, mining trucks and more overpowered the entire space. Even the small pieces of equipment showcase a size that is as impressive as it is astounding, and it’s impossible to not think about the logistics around how these tools are actually utilised. Granted, I’m sure that most of the attendees don’t have those same feelings about tools they use on a daily basis, but it’s clear they’re captivated by what they can see and experience at the event in a different way.

​I wanted to find out what sort of feelings drones were compelling in this audience, and while UAVs certainly didn’t take centre stage, it was interesting to see how both exhibitors and attendees view and think of the technology. A number of the developments and happenings that were on display at MINExpo 2016 will no doubt influence the future of how UAVs will be used in the mining industry, and with companies like Airware making a serious investment in this market, I thought I’d try to get a sense of where things are now and where they’re headed.

Getting a Literal Feel for the Industry

While I could further elaborate about the significance of standing next to machines that weigh up to and over 1.38 million lbs, the fact that such things have that kind of prominence at MINExpo is what’s especially noteworthy. The event makes it easy to see and understand that mining professionals want to get a sense for what a particular piece of equipment looks like, and even what it feels like to handle or touch that equipment. The necessity of that tactile sensation was especially apparent with drone technology.

I watched a few different attendees come by the RDO Integrated Control booth to touch and hold a few products from senseFly. Their eBee and albris units were both on full display and more than one attendee made it a point to stop and pick up the unit to see how much it weighed and what it felt like to physically handle. Various comments were then made about it being smaller than they envisioned. Clearly, the expectations some had built up around what the technology looked and felt like did not line up with reality.

Similarly, attendees were curious about how something as small as the DJI Matrice 100 could make much of an impact in the sort of environments attendees are used to working in. Would something like that hold up when flying through the debris and other commotion of an active mining project? After getting a better sense of the drone’s capabilities, which include universal power and communication ports, the fully programmable nature of the drone and its’ enhanced GPS, attendees went on to ask far more specific questions that would help them solve specific issues on a given project. Naturally, that was after picking up the drone and seeing what it felt like for themselves.

​It’s clear that mining professionals have expectations around equipment they can use on a project, and at least some of those expectations are based on how these tools actually look and feel to the professionals who will be using them. A more widespread embrace of drones in this market might just be a matter of literally getting a UAV in the hands of more people.

The Industry is Both Creating and Embracing New Technology

There are always challenges when it comes to embracing change, and that’s as much due to people as it is to technology. A certain approach or tool is seen by an organisation or even an entire industry as the way things are done, and changing that can be difficult. That was part of the reason it was so encouraging to see that new technology is not only being embraced by mining professionals, but these changes are being driven by powerful concepts and relevant needs.

VR technology was showed off in various booths, including the Trimble booth where attendees were able to step into a virtual mine. The technology is designed to showcase the concept of the connected mine, which connects data from all over a mining project with the people who are making critical decisions. The concept of the connected mine wasn’t limited to the Trimble booth though, and neither was the VR Oculus Technology, which was being used by various companies to show attendees everything from how their equipment could be utilised to conducting training programs.

The embrace of these new tools and technologies certainly extends to drones, and the development of something completely new that is driven by a market need is personified by the RIEGL RICOPTER. As one of the leading providers of LiDAR scanners and scanning systems, the company hadn’t been looking to develop a drone, but became the first to offer a fully integrated, survey grade LiDAR UAV solution based upon the fact there was no perfectly suited carrier for RIEGL’s VUX-1 LiDAR sensor available on the market. The RICOPTER has, since introduction in 2014, offered the market a complete solution that fits a specific need for mining professionals, which includes the necessary sensors, UAV platform, and accompanying software from one single manufacturer.

Tools like the Vapor 55 are also important to mention when it comes to the creation of a relevant new technology, especially in terms of how it can be utilized since it’s payload agnostic. The advantages of the helicopter model start with the additional safety aspects along with being built for dangerous environments like a mine, but the autonomous auto-rotation feature is what really sets it apart.

​These are the kinds of concepts and tools that have already changed the mining industry in countless ways, but it was clear professionals across this sector are both ready and willing to take a closer look at what it will mean to leverage such things.

Disruption at Different Scales via Various Products

A few of the education sessions at MINExpo focused on how things are developing in different markets and with technology in a very general sense, but it’s clear that changes in both of these areas have caused disputation in the mining industry that continues to make waves. Sessions dealt with various topics that included, “Maintenance,” “Research”, “Automation” and “Underground Mining”, but the info shared in each went into far more detail than is indicated by the session titles.

The “Markets” session featured a presentation and discussion as participants talked through how the mining sector has been fundamentally reshaped, and in that process has become more volatile and more vulnerable. Revenues and the EBITA of the global mining community were also showcased, as well as some numbers that detailed how the growth in certain regions was exceptionally fast, and why that won’t be repeated. During “Automation #1” the presenters worked to show what kind of change the industrial Internet will drive but made sure to highlight where automation will play a role in terms of the impact to safety, productivity and reliability.

Additionally, companies like Hélicéo are driving a different sort of disruption with products like the DroneBox, which can be utilised on a number of different platforms, including a multi-rotor and fixed wing drone. One thing that’s talked about in many different contexts is how drones shouldn’t be thought of as something that can solve every problem on a project but should instead be simply thought of as a tool. Being able to utilise different platforms while capturing the same necessary information will go a long way to helping more people understand that concept.

Disruption is something Delair-Tech has seen with UAV packages that feature up to 200 km range and over 2 hours of endurance, but they’ve seen it in a very different manner, mostly because their customers are already asking to see how things can be further disrupted. The feedback they’ve gotten has been about where UAV technology can go from here, as they’ve used tools like drones and are now trying to assess how to procure additional benefits. It’s one of the reasons Delair-Tech has set up new offices in the United States.

​It’s impossible to accurately measure the speed of these kinds of disruptions and how they’re impacting various professionals, but they are absolutely happening in the mining space, and they’re changing the expectations of everyone.

Data and the Connected Mine

The concept of the connected mine is one that came up in terms of VR technology, but it’s also one that companies are trying to make a reality in far more concrete ways. As an example, Topcon’s UAV fixed wing and rotary wing solutions are designed to connect the field and the office in real time. Their intelligent mining solutions include mass haul solutions, surveying and monitoring solutions, aerial imaging solutions, excavation solutions and plenty more.

As pervasive as drones have become, there are still some that wonder about the true benefits of the technology, either because they’re unsure of what UAVs are actually capable of doing, or they don’t understand how they can make a difference. Some of those people were at the event asking such things aloud, but as soon as they saw the data that’s associated with a drone they understood the true benefit. Using data as the starting place allowed them to see that drones aren’t about doing something especially different or unnecessary. They know what it means to capture and uutilisevarious kinds of data, and thinking of drones as an easier or more efficient way of gathering that data is typically the most effective way of talking through the true benefits.

​The concept of the connected mine is one most attendees were familiar with, but many struggled with the logistics around actually creating or enabling one, either because of their own internal processes or because they simply didn’t have tools to permit that kind of connectivity. How drones will be part of these connected mines is an open question that likely varies from one organisation to another, and perhaps even from project to project. However, a focus on data and what can be done with that data provides a much more effective starting place in terms of figuring out the right approach and tools.

The Importance of Specificity

MINExpo features countless companies that are selling a single product or variation of that product, with examples ranging from boots to tires. However, there were also plenty of companies that featured massive options and choices, whether they were related to consulting services or heavy machinery. It’s easy to see how companies with that single product are able to be specific with their customers, but the reality is that organisations with those various options can be just as specific. Examples of that specificity were everywhere, but in terms of drone technology, it was especially prevalent in the product that the Rigid Robotics team had to show.

Instead of being a drone company that has created a product to serve the mining sector, Rigid Robotics is a mining organisation that has created a drone. They were showing off their CONDUCTOR platform, which is a tethered unmanned aerial system. The CONDUCTOR is designed to offer specific capabilities that mining organisations will be able to leverage, which are related to persistent surveillance, volumetric measurements, and more. The tether also means the drone does not require downtime in order to refuel or recharge, which solves a major concern that many mining professionals have expressed about the technology.

At the Geoshack booth, Lockheed Martin’s Indago Mapper drone was on display, and representatives talked up how the UAV can collect data and view composite photos showing the progression on a job site. Additionally, Sentera’s Phoenix Mapper fixed-wing drone has a highly reliable, easy-to-use, professional-grade autopilot and intuitive flight-planning process, all of which means that miners can quickly grasp how to actually fly the drone, which is another key issue in terms of adoption.

Regardless of the product, it was clear that the mining professionals here weren’t especially focused on potential or possibility. They wanted to discuss how these tools actually could and would be utilised and those were the specifics exhibitors and attendees talked through in detail.

Drones, Autonomous Mines and the Future
​
There were only 11 companies listed under the “drone” product category for the event, and a few of those companies seemed confused that they were listed there to begin with. So the technology still has a way to go in terms of adoption. Nonetheless, an informal poll showed that around 70% of the people at the event knew about drones and how they might impact a project, while 10% had either actually used or experimented with using a drone on a project. The interest is clearly there, and with the lengthy Section 333 process no longer serving as a barrier to entry, many people and organizations are open to taking the next step.

In fact, if I had to say, I would guess the reason there weren’t more UAVs and drone companies at the event is because Part 107 only recently went into effect. While some had been counting down the days until it became official, others were fine with waiting to see what would happen. Many of those people who were content to hold out are in the mining industry. With that barrier to entry eliminated, numerous people expressed an interest in drones in a way even they admitted they wouldn’t have done just a couple months ago.

As proof of that sentiment being legitimate, the concept of creating a completely autonomous mine was one that came up in more than one instance. It’s a concept that would see a mining operation taking place in the middle of the Australian Outback, even though the people controlling everything would be located far away from that location, and there wouldn’t actually be anyone working within that mine. All the world would be done autonomously.

Anyone with even a vague notion of that kind of future knows drones will be a major component of this kind of autonomous ecosystem. They’re also aware of the fact that utilizing UAVs today brings the industry a step closer to that eventual dream, which makes it a worthwhile effort in more ways than one.

​MINExpo won’t be back until 2020, but you can check out plenty pictures from this year’s event below to get a sense of how drones and various other pieces of equipment are set to make a difference in the interim.

About the Author

Jeremiah Karpowicz is the Executive Editor for Commercial UAV News. He has created articles, videos, newsletters, ebooks and plenty more for various communities as a contributor and editor. He is also the author of a number of industry specific reports that feature exclusive insights and information around how drones are being used in various markets. You can read all of those reports here.

​Get in touch with him on Twitter: @jeremiahkarp

​Worldsensing LS-G6 long range radio data loggers are changing the way Australians are monitoring their projects. Now implemented on major projects in every state in Australia, the system is proving its reliability and ease of use.

Geomotion Australia are utilising the system to monitor train stations in Perth; highway developments in Ballina and Adelaide; dams in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania, as well as processing plants in Western Australia and schools and high-rise apartment buildings in Melbourne.

Through simplicity, low-to-no maintenance requirements and low cost, the LS-G6 system is bringing automation and remote data access to sites where previously the cost and practicalities would have been prohibitive.
 
The LS-G6 models are capable of reading Vibrating Wire (VW), analogue and digital sensors. This means that on a single site we are monitoring groundwater, cracks, structural health and pile deformation with the same data system, each with a low-profile autonomous data logger recording and transmitting the data.

To find out more about how Geomotion Australia can assist your project with the LS-G6 Monitoring System, select from the links below or call us on 1300 884 542.

itmsoil Australia has re-branded as Geomotion Australia, a move signifying the recent growth and maturation of the company into a global industry leader.

Geomotion is a leading global provider of geotechnical and monitoring equipment and services for the mining, industrial and civil infrastructure sectors.

Proudly Australian based and operated, we have offices across Asia Pacific, and work on projects as far and wide as Fiji, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Namibia, Malawi and South Africa.

Our projects include major national and international infrastructure projects for dams and
reservoirs, railways, structures, tunnels, earthworks, excavations and landslides.

Having built strong relationships with manufacturers, we offer world-class products, backed by reliable, local service and support.

Through our innovative approach, cutting-edge solutions, and extensive experience across
multiple industries, we provide clients with access to live, real-time, relevant data efficiently and conveniently.

Using high-quality, sophisticated instrumentation, we provide our clients with assurance, and help them measure the performance of their design, advance their methods and ensure their projects are completed safely and efficiently.

We offer a full turnkey service, including site assessment, supply, installation or installation
supervision, commissioning, base readings and hand-overs, and partner with our clients at any or all project stages.

Our qualified technicians have diverse experience and can provide on-site training for engineers, installers and clients’ staff.

​We also provide maintenance, recalibration and support services for geotechnical monitoring equipment.

If you would like to find out more, do not hesitate to contact us. Our friendly and helpful service team is always willing and happy to assist.

Geomotion Australia are currently looking for Site Technicians and Site Engineers. We have some exciting opportunities and are looking for self-motivated, creative, and energetic people to add to our dynamic team. The role will involve working on Australia’s largest infrastructure and resources projects and travel will be necessary. Experience in the geotechnical instrumentation field is essential.

Sales Engineer - NSW
The position of Sales Engineer is based in our NSW office in Balmain. Duties will be based both in the office and on site. Site work will take place both in Sydney, across Australia and less regularly internationally.

Site Technician - WA
The position of Site Technician will be based in our WA office in Osborne Park. Duties will be based both in the office and on site. Site work will take place both in Perth, across Australia and less regularly internationally.

Please send all expressions of interest to info@geomotion.com.au or complete the form below.

Project: New Perth Stadium Station
Site: Burswood, Perth
Client: Prism Alliance ( Laing O’Rourke, Aecom, Perth Transport Authority)

In 2018, the multi-purpose 60,000 seat new Perth Stadium will open for the kick-off of the AFL season.

To ensure the safe and efficient movement of the crowd within an hour of an event finishing, the new six-platform Stadium Station will be one of the new infrastructure as a part of the transport strategy. Indeed, 28,000 people are expected to leave from the new Perth Stadium Station.

Geomotion has recently completed the installation of eight Vibrating Wire Piezometers, six 4-20mA pressure transducers, seven MEMS tiltmeters, three Settlement Plates and two inclinometers as part of the Perth Stadium Station Project which will be finalised in advance of the  2018 AFL season.

The equipment is used to monitor the pore water pressure, the piezometric head of ground water during dewatering, the tilt of the Victoria Park Bridge and the settlement of surcharge.

Considering the scale of the project and the distances between the sensors installed, it made sense to use the LS-G6 long range wireless telemetry system by its cost effectiveness and long range performance. The gateway receives the data from all the sensors installed onsite with a distance of 3.5 Kilometers form the furthest monitoring point then relays data to our web-based data presentation package, ARGUS.

Using this system, the client can receive the data in real time and be warned via SMS / Email if any instrument exceeds the set alarm thresholds.

​The Swan River Pedestrian Bridge forms part of the new Perth Stadium’s integrated transport strategy designed to move patrons safely and efficiently to and from the Stadium and Sports Precinct.

More than 14,000 people are expected to use the Bridge on event days to move between East Perth's Nelson Avenue and the Burswood Peninsula, adjacent to the Stadium. 

Spanning 370 meters across the Swan River the Bridge will be available for community use at all times, showcasing the beauty of the river, adjacent parklands and the Stadium Precinct.

Bridge construction works are underway with the construction of two temporary causeways in the Swan River commencing in January 2016. Bridge foundations are expected to be completed by mid-2016 with the Bridge opening in early 2017.

The following indicative monitoring installations have been installed by Geomotion to assess the settlement/movement of the causeways during the construction period:

• Downhole inclinometers are installed at two locations on each causeway to monitor lateral movement. Inclinometers are located adjacent to Piers 2 and 3 and positioned between the edge of the causeways and the pier.
• Multi-level vibrating wire piezometers (VWPs) at one location on each causeway located at the mid-height and base of the Swan River Alluvium (SRA) to monitor pore pressures. VWPs will be located between the pile caps on Piers 2 and 3 respectively. Each vibrating wire piezometer is connected to a standalone data logger allowing for automatic data retrieval.
• Settlement plates located at not less than eight locations across each of the causeways to monitor vertical settlement (i.e. 16 locations total). Two settlement plates are located at the end of each causeway with the remaining six settlement plates positioned at approximately 25m to 30m spacing (along and across the axis of the causeway).

The monitoring of settlements during construction will collect sufficient information to assess the relationship between settlement, time, SRA thickness and fill thickness and ensure adequate measures are put in place to maintain the design elevation.

Geomotion Australia are pleased to announce our participation at the First Asia Pacific Slope Stability in Mining Conference.

We will be exhibiting with long time partners Worldsensing, showcasing some of our latest systems and approaches to effective monitoring of slopes in mining applications.

Geomotion Australia has recently completed the installation of 70 In-place Inclinometers, 30 Piezometers, ten Vibrating Wire Crackmeters and two Vibration Monitors as part of the Perth City Link Project.

The equipment is used to monitor the construction of the new underground bus station and monitors diaphragm wall deflection during excavation, the piezometric head of ground water during dewatering, movement across surface cracks on existing tunnels and heritage structures and tunnel vibration.

All instrumentation is linked to the Loadsensing wireless mesh network which relays data to our web-based data presentation package, ARGUS. Through this system, the client has the capacity to receive the data in real time and be warned via SMS / Email should the instrumentation exceed the set alarm thresholds.

Geomotion Australia’s partner company, Specto Technology, have developed the VW-Stalker, a vibrating wire interface for the Rippa, our low power, low cost 3G logger.

This new interface allows you to connect up to four vibrating wire devices to a single Rippa unit, giving you reliable remote monitoring at a low cost.

To find out more, please email info@geomotion.com.au or call 1300 884 542.

Geomotion Australia are this week celebrating one year since the opening of our office in Sydney.

Now located in the central and friendly suburb of Balmain, Geomotion Australia have enjoyed the opportunity to serve our East Coast clients with closer proximity and office hours to suit their needs.

We hold a variety of stock for urgent orders and have been, and continue to provide local support on-site for our customers. With a number of exciting projects coming up, we look forward to continuing our growth here and across Australia.

Geomotion is the sole provider of Loadsensing in Australasia.

Loadsensing is the market's most cost-efficient data logger for geotechnical sensors, distributing real time data to provide our customers peace of mind for their projects. Its state-of-the-art protocols differ from standard based ZigBee solutions. Loadsensing uses ultra-low power consumption and a single network can support up to 250 nodes. Its user friendly software ensures simple consumer control and comprehension.

The company, founded in 2008 from private equity, has grown very quickly into a serious market contender with its wireless sensors products thanks to its state of the art low power communication capabilities. Today, it counts on highly qualified engineers and experienced executives focusing to meet the exponentially-growing market opportunities worldwide.

Loadsensing has received major press coverage including on the BBC, twice in the Wall Street Journal, and on various TV programs and newspapers. It has won two major awards, the Stockholm Smart City Living Labs Global Award 2011 and the IBM Smart Camp 2010 London Award.

Sales are facilitated by the superior product quality when compared to competing solutions, as well as a strong executive and advisory team as well as  the strategic investor FJME which has a direct access to the construction giant ACCIONA.

​Loadsensing products are made in Barcelona, Spain by Worldsensing.

Geomotion recently launched their first new product for 2014, an upgraded model to the now discontinued VW Hand-held Readout Unit. The VWRead Vibrating Wire Readout is a highly versatile, easy to use handheld readout unit with a sweeping range of 400 – 600 Hz, capable of reading most commercially available geotechnical Vibrating Wire (VW) sensors and built-in thermistor temperature sensors.

The easy to carry and robust unit provides accurate, repeatable and fast interference-free readings and provides optional higher 15V excitation ensures quality readings for sensors with long cables.

Our customers wanted a product that was easy to use yet could be confidently relied on to provide quality readings.  The new unit makes taking accurate, repeatable and interference-free readings simple, fast and error free. VWread offers fantastic value and is a good option when you don’t require on-board data storage.

Other key features of the new product include:

• Compatible with nearly all VW sensors
• Realtime display of VW sensor readings in Hz, Hz2/1000 and period
• FFT-based data reading algorithm
• Reading and displaying parameters can be fully configured
• Long battery life; powered by a NiMH rechargeable battery

VWread is suitable for geotechnical and structural monitoring applications relating to measuring pore pressure, water level, strain, crack, load, pressure cell and displacement.

For pricing and availability of the new VWRead Wire Readout, contact Geomotion Australia on info@geomotion.com.au.