Fabrication Procedure for Custom-Built Accelerometers for Geotechnical Monitoring Purposes
Publication: Geo-Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
The development of low-cost sensors such as miniature electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers has allowed for new and innovative monitoring applications in civil engineering. Within the realm of geotechnical engineering, these low-cost sensors have been utilized to monitor wave propagations in soils, for tilt monitoring, and for structural health monitoring purposes. In this study, custom-built three-axis accelerometers utilizing low-cost accelerometer breakout boards manufactured by Adafruit with ADXL326 and ADXL335 accelerometer chips were constructed, calibrated, and then used on an active construction site to monitor the dynamic behavior of a compaction roller during construction activities. The goal of this paper is to provide interested readers with a step-by-step guide on how to construct these low-cost accelerometers, which are housed in a custom 3D printed mold and hermetically sealed utilizing epoxy that is readily available at commercial hardware stores. In this study, the custom-built sensors were calibrated utilizing a simple 6-point static calibration procedure, with the measured calibration waveforms being compared to those measured from an industrial grade accelerometer for validation purposes. The study also presents preliminary results showing the capabilities of these sensors for measuring the accelerations of a vibrating compaction drum during soil compaction; these types of sensors offer significant utility for studies that are exploring continuous compaction control or intelligent compaction of soils, asphalt, roller-compacted concrete, or other similar civil engineering materials that are placed using vibratory drum compaction.
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Geo-Congress 2022
Pages: 63 - 73
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Published online: Mar 17, 2022
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