GeoSonics/Vibra-Tech takes the mystery out of crack movement with an easy-to-understand approach.
The accuracy of our crack gauge system gives it value as a public relations tool. Concepts like particle velocity and air overpressures are often hard to explain to people without industry expertise. Digital crack gauges take the mystery out of crack movement, providing clear, easy-to-understand answers to the question, “Did the crack get bigger or not?”
The digital crack gauge is a valuable tool for measuring the movement of a cosmetic or structural crack during vibration causing events. GeoSonics/Vibra-Tech’s crack gauge systems yield both comprehensive dynamic and environmental information on crack displacement. Dynamic data (recorded during a vibratory event) is essential for determining a crack’s activity during excitation. Our crack gauge systems, which can measure crack movement with a resolution of 0.000004 inch, show if there is any correlation between crack movement and other vibration producing activities.
Early crack monitor methods, such as glass telltales could falsely confirm that a crack was inactive, unless drastic shifts occurred. Our Re:mote Digital Crack Gauge System collects and records evidence of these changes in a time-history waveform that is valuable in correlating crack movement with other activities like blasting, construction and pile driving. Environmental data (temperature and humidity) are also recorded for comparison to reactions from excitation. Environmental factors are constantly exerting a significant and measurable force on structures. While these forces are small, their effects are cumulative and add up to visible crack movement over time. Research shows that environmental movement from temperature and relative humidity changes typically exceeds movement from most vibratory sources by a large margin.