Pier monitoring
For several decades, Jewell has been developing high-precision tiltmeters for bridge monitoring, including steel truss, post-tensioned segmental box girder, and composite-type structures. Clients have used these systems for monitoring of bridge construction, long-term performance evaluation, and as damage/maintenance assessment tools. Jewell high-precision sensors offer continuous data coverage to provide contractors, engineers, and owners with immediate feedback on structural performance and conditions. Jewell tiltmeters continuously monitor the piers of the Golden Gate Bridge to detect any movement caused by earthquakes, settlement or scour. Through a PC in the bridge office the bridge district remotely collects and reviews the data, without sending someone out to the bridge.
Bridge deflection an
d Health monitoring
During construction, Jewell tiltmeters have been used to plumb the pivot shafts to true vertical. They then measured and maintained balance during casting of the main and tail spans of each leaf. If a ship collides with protective piling, the tiltmeters ca
n help determine that no permanent damage to the bridge has occurred. Today our tiltmeters maintain pivot shaft alignment and monitor foundation integrity in these seismically active areas.
Our high precision tiltmeters have been used on continuous self-anchored suspension bridge and installed on the main towers to monitor long-term tilt. Jewell tiltmeters were also installed to monitor deflection of long bridge arches.
Bridge Truss Distortion Monitoring
As part of the bridge widening project over the Mississippi River in New Orleans, two 528ft long, 2700 ton trusses were built on shore, and transported to the bridge site by barge. Jewell C801 “Tuff-tilt” tilt meters were used to monitor each truss for distortion and bucking as they were lifted and secured into place.
