System and method for detecting subgrade deformation
Disclosed are various embodiments for a sensor enabled geogrid for the monitoring and detection of subgrade deformation in infrastructure such as roadways, railways, working platforms, and marine applications. The system and methods contain a sensor enabled geogrid, inertial measurement units (IMUs), one or more sensors, a data collection apparatus such as a sensor pod, an information transmission apparatus such as a gateway device, a communications network, and a computing device capable of performing analytics on information from the IMU's and other sensors. The disclosure further includes methods of processing information received from a sensor enabled geogrid by a sensor pod. In the example, the sensor pod transmits received information to a gateway device for transmitting to a backend computing system. The backend computing system then performs an analysis on the information to determine variance from an initial sensor position, and alerts of possible infrastructure failure.
1 . A system for monitoring and detecting deformation in a subgrade of infrastructure, comprising:
a sensor enabled geogrid installed in the subgrade, comprising:
a geogrid; and
sensors operatively configured to the geogrid, wherein the sensors are configured to detect change from an initial position, the sensors comprising at least one inertial measurement units (“IMUs”) and at least one strain gauge;
a sensor pod, wherein the sensor pod is placed in the subgrade and is in electrical communication to the sensor enabled geogrid;
a gateway device, wherein the gateway device is in electrical communication to the sensor pod;
a backend system, comprising:
a computing device;
a display; and
a software program for interpreting information from the sensors that is configured to non-transitory memory of the computing device to determine an event has occurred, wherein an event is a change in the subgrade detected by the at least one IMUs registering a change from its starting position as well as a resistance change on the at least one strain gauge.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the IMU is comprises an accelerometer and a gyroscope.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensors operatively configured to the geogrid further comprises is a flex sensor configured to a member of the geogrid so that flex is detected from forces on the sensor enabled geogrid.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gateway device is in electrical communication to a plurality of sensor pods, and wherein the gateway device sends and receives the information from the plurality of sensor pods.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mobile computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to access the backend system and can view a user interface to the software program.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one IMU and the at least one strain gauge is used to detect a failure of any of the IMUs and strain gauges.
7 . A method for monitoring and detecting deformation in a subgrade, comprising:
providing a sensor enabled geogrid, wherein the sensor enabled geogrid has one or more IMUs and one or more strain gauges operatively configured to the sensor enabled geogrid that are capable of determining tilt;
providing a sensor pod, wherein the sensor pod is in electrical communication with the one or more IMUs and the one or more strain gauges;
providing, a gateway device, wherein the gateway device is in communication with the sensor pod;
installing the sensor enabled geogrid and the sensor pod in a subgrade of infrastructure;
receiving, by the sensor pod an initial position for the one or more IMUs and the initial resistance measurement of the one or more strain gauges;
monitoring, by a backend computing system, the one or more IMUs, for variance from the initial position, and the one or more strain gauges for change in resistance;
detecting, by the backend computing system, variance from the initial position in the one or more IMUs and a change in resistance from the one or more strain gauges; and
alerting, by the backend computing system, the detected variance in the one or more IMUs and the change in resistance from the one or more strain gauges.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the variance from the initial position in the one or more IMUs, detects deformation within the subgrade of the infrastructure due to a change in axis tilt of the one or more IMUs.
9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising, providing a sensor enabled geogrid configured with at least one of the following sensors: a flex sensor, a moisture sensor, a temperature sensor.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising, receiving, by the gateway device, signals from at least one of the following sensors: a flex sensor, a strain gauge, a moisture sensor, or a temperature sensor.
11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing remedial repair at a location where the variance was detected by the one or more IMUs in the subgrade.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein alerting transmits a visual or audible signal to traffic on a roadway of potential failure.
13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein alerting transmits a message or communication to a roadway maintenance unit regarding the detected variance by the one or more IMUs in the subgrade.
14 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting, by the sensor pod, across a network, the initial position of the one or more IMUs, and the initial resistance of the one or more strain gauges.
15 . The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the sensor enabled geogrid further provides one or more sensors on a top and a bottom portion of the sensor enabled geogrid.
16 . The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the sensor enabled geogrid, further provides a flex sensor operatively configured to an elongated member of the sensor enabled geogrid.
17 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising executing an infrastructure processing engine on the backend computing systems, wherein the infrastructure processing engine processes an algorithm to calculate a degree of tilt of the one or more IMUs.
18 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more IMUs and the one or more strain gauges is used to detect a failure of any of the one or more IMUs and strain gauges.