Piezometers are pressure-sensitive, submersible measurement sensors designed to detect pore water pressure and ground water levels in a variety of geotechnical applications. Because pore pressure has such significant effects on ground behaviour, it is essential to monitor building site pore pressure before, during, and after construction.
Monitoring of pore pressure changes is essential to understand drained and undrained behaviours of soil formations under loads, efficiency of dewatering programs on construction sites, short term and long-term soil settlement behaviours and factor of safety of soil and rock slopes. RST offers a variety of piezometer subtypes to deliver high-quality, precise data collection for every project.
Piezometers are employed in a wide variety of infrastructure and mining projects including water and tailings dams, tunnels, roadways, landfill sites, pipelines, and excavation projects. Built to withstand tough environmental conditions without compromising performance, RST Instruments’ piezometers allow for consistent, reliable data collection in soil or rock, and are the instrument of choice for such ongoing pressure measurements.
Piezometers are installed in vertical columns such as boreholes, standpipes, and wells, and consist of a pressure-sensitive tip that is connected to the ground surface by a rugged cable. Multiple piezometer types and installation options exist that can be customized according to the specific site environment.
The RST Vibrating Wire Piezometer is a high-performing, reliable, and rugged installation that employs a vibrating wire measuring principle to detect minute changes in pore pressure. This widely used piezometer is the electrical piezometer of choice due to its versatility and reliability in even the most demanding conditions. Data from the Vibrating Wire Piezometer can be collected using a readout unit such as the VW2106 Vibrating Wire Readout or a DT datalogger.
In situations where pore pressure measurement is required at multiple points throughout the vertical borehole, the Fully Grouted Multi-Point Piezometer String allows for the connection of multiple Vibrating Wire Piezometers at multiple depth points.
In addition, our Strain Gauge Piezometer is commonly employed for the measurement of seawater depth, well depth, and groundwater levels. For every specific piezometer type, RST offers a compatible data logger.
I’m very happy with the quality of the instrumentation and technical support from RST, as always. They worked with us from the initial stages of the project to ensure that we were fully prepared and equipped to use the RSTAR network for the first time. They delivered everything within the tight project time frame to ensure that there were no delays on site, and the submersible tilt meters looked like new even after over twelve months of being submerged in Thames water!
-Richard Lipscombe, BEng (Hons), Director & Principle Consultant - RL Geotechnical Ltd