California High Speed Rail
Project
The California High Speed Rail system will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles with trains traveling up to 220 mph on grade-separated track. (Rendering courtesy of California High Speed Rail Authority).
GEO-Instruments is at work on a section of the project between Fresno and Bakersfield. The elevated tracks will be supported by large-bore piles. These are being constructed within 30 feet of the heavily-used, existing tracks.
Monitoring Requirements
To ensure operational safety, a real-time monitoring system was required to provide adequate warning to rail operators. GEO provided two systems for this purpose.
Wireless Tiltmeters
The first system was an array of wireless tiltmeters installed on a 300 foot span of track adjacent to the construction area. Data from the tiltmeters was used to model total track movement.
Solar-Powered AMTS
The second system was a solar-powered AMTS system that monitored 180 rail-clip prisms that are mounted directly on the rails. The system provides operators with measurements and changes of the XYZ coordinates of each prism at three-hour intervals.
Solar-Powered Site Camera
GEO also deployed a solar-powered construction-site camera. Cameras provide a continuous record of progress and can help identify problems and improve operations.
Sisterbar Strain Gauges
GEO-Instruments also supplied and installed sisterbar strain gauges for LTC's O-cell and lateral load testing of the piles.
Lowering instrumented cage into the bore.