inclinometer application

The casing should penetrate at least 5 meters below the deepest anticipated shear zone. In practice, field surveys and initial borehole logs help estimate this depth. If no clear failure surface is known, a common strategy is to drill into competent bedrock and ensure the bottom section of casing remains stationary, providing a reliable reference point. Kingmach casing solutions can be extended with proven coupling methods if deeper reach becomes necessary during drilling.

Sudden spikes often result from mechanical issues such as a dirty casing groove, a stuck probe, or cable snagging. Before suspecting actual ground movement, it’s worth pulling the probe up slowly, cleaning the wheels with a soft cloth, and lowering it again while keeping light tension on the cable. If spikes persist at the same depth, the casing may have developed a kink or pinch point. In that case, a smaller-diameter probe or a grooved reaming pass can sometimes salvage the installation.

Yes, but with limitations. Traditional inclinometers measure cumulative deformation over time, not high-frequency vibration. For blasting monitoring, in-place inclinometer chains connected to dynamic data loggers can capture inclination changes at select depths. However, the primary purpose is often to check for permanent displacement post-blast rather than real-time vibration amplitudes. During active blasting phases, it’s advisable to set post-blast observation windows and compare readings to pre-blast baselines to identify any irreversible shift.

Temperature gradients can cause apparent deflection in inclinometer readings, mainly through thermal expansion or contraction of the casing and probe components. This effect is more pronounced in long vertical casings exposed to sunlight near the top. A practical countermeasure is to take readings at roughly the same time of day and to shield the top of the casing from direct sun. Advanced digital probes often include temperature compensation algorithms, but for critical baselines, operators sometimes install a secondary thermistor string alongside the casing to correct data during analysis.