Weir Jones Solutions
Weir Jones- Presentation to Prolintas Maintenance and Operation Team
Infrastructure
The Weir-Jones Group’s ShakeMonitor™ is a system which automatically computes natural frequencies of structures and then analyses the real-time vibrational data to identify any anomalous responses which may be caused by seismic or other significant disturbances. Using the original design drawings, a finite element model (FEM) of the structure is created and then used to produce a baseline model including a structural reliability study in order to indentify responses outside normal modal shapes. Data is available in real-time and is stored for subsequent analysis. ShakeMonitor™ delivers reliable data autonomously on a continuous basis to monitor modal characteristics and key structural performance indicators.
Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants has developed the Seismic “Rockfall™” Detection System (SRFDS) which is an evolutionary alternative to traditional slide fence technology. This revolutionary system relies upon acoustic signature recognition to determine if and when rocks or other hazardous debris fall onto the right of way. The exact size and location of the hazard is determined in real time by utilizing highly sensitive seismic sensors together with a 24-bit data acquisition system. Once a valid event triggers the system, this information is immediately sent as a digital warning signal to the railway operator. The Rockfall™ system eliminates the high maintenance costs and continuous false alarms generated from slide fence systems. Weir-Jones has over 40 years experience with rock fall and stability hazard monitoring systems. Our clients include railway companies, Provincial and Federal Ministries, Crown Corporations and mining companies.
ShakeAlarm® is a cost-effective, highly reliable Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS) which provides critical minutes or seconds of warning in order to minimize loss of life and assets. This is done by recognizing and quantifying the faster, but lower energy, P (compressive) wave which is the precursor of the more damaging S (shear) wave.
When used in conjunction with industrial or civil infrastructure control systems, these critical seconds of warning can be leveraged to save lives, minimize runaway failure modes in critical structures, and shut down gas and electricity feeds to infrastructureminimizing fire risk to assets after the seismic event.
The Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) draws upon more than thirty years’ experience in the field of acoustic event detection and location. The proprietary technology is utilized in our patented systems used on a regular basis in the oil and gas, nuclear, and transportation sector. PIDS operates on the basis that sound waves propagate at velocities which are characteristic of the surrounding soil, rock or concrete. The difference in arrival times of an acoustic signal at three or more fixed detectors, geophones, whose position is known, defines the location of the source.
Seismic sensors are installed at intervals along the perimeter of the area under surveillance; there is no limit to the length of the perimeter, it can range from tens to tens of thousands of metres. The sensors are buried at a depth of 0.25 – 0.5m to pick up ground vibrations and then the acquired data is processed by a computer to obtain the location of the source.
Oil & Gas, Energy, Mining
Pipelines, in many parts of the world, cross unconsolidated deposits. This unstable material may be weak and water bearing. Structural integrity problems are particularly serious where river crossings are involved due to the undercutting effect on slope by continuous hydraulic erosion, and in regions subject to seismic risk and the resultant slope instability. The downslope soil movement causes the development of tension and compression traction forces on the upper and lower pipeline sections.
Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants is able to implement various types of strain monitoring systems which provide a comprehensive real-time picture of the pipeline’s state-of-health. These systems enable pipeline operators to detect even the slightest deformation of a pipe caused by the movement of the surrounding soil. With this valuable data in hand, pipeline operators are able to minimize the risk of events spiraling out of control. This ensures that appropriate responses can be developed in a timely manner.
The Weir-Jones Group has supplied hundreds of Permanent Passive Microseismic (PPM) and acoustic emission monitoring solutions to the oil and gas, mining and heavy construction industries. These feature cost-effective 24-bit resolution hardware and robust software and are available as turn-key solutions. A wide variety of both temporary and permanent Life of Field (LOF) systems are available. In the oil and gas sector a number of major producers use these systems on a continuous basis. The results help delineate production zones, monitor fracture growth associated with resource extraction or production enhancement techniques, and demonstrate compliance with regulatory agencies.
Marine
The Weir-Jones Group designs, builds and installs hull condition and motion monitoring systems for a variety of vessels and offshore structures. A wide range of data display and storage options are available for these systems to meet or exceed the requirements of various classification societies, such as the DNV Rules for Classification of High Speed and Light Craft, Lloyds, ABS, Guide for hull Condition Monitoring Systems etc.
HMON ™, provides statistical monitoring and storage of the global wave induced forces on the vessel. The purpose of this data is general design verification and it is collected during trials and while the vessel is in regular service. The system is also capable of displaying general operating information which is required by the vessel’s Master on a continuous basis e.g. wave height information, vertical accelerations and bending strains.
These systems can be supplied which comply with the classification society requirements of the following areas:
- Hull Girder Stress
- Local Load Monitoring
- Green Seas Warning
- Ship motion
- Slam Warning
- Fatigue Monitoring
Alternatively the systems can be deployed on a routine basis where they are continuously displaying and recording general operating information required by the vessel’s owners, insurers or regulators. The systems have both commercial and defense related applications.
Performance monitoring helps mitigate risk in the offshore environment by keeping the operators informed about the state of health and the global environmental conditions in real time. The key benefits to the owner are: operational risk reduction, overall platform safety and structural integrity, and operational cost savings.
Weir-Jones / Terrascience Group of Companies have proven experience implementing a number of successful and innovative platform monitoring systems on: semi-submersibles, jack-ups, artificial islands, and gravity based offshore structures etc. over the past thirty five years. Customized, integrated and user-friendly solutions are the hallmark of our systems, which are designed to meet the specific requirements of the stakeholders.
This measuring system provides high speed vessel operators with a near real-time measurement of any significant wave height being encountered. The information can be made available as a digital display on the bridge and can also be supplied to a Voyage Data Monitoring or Hull Condition Monitoring System.
The system has the following significant features:
- Designed for high speed catamarans but can be used on conventional vessels. Vessel motion is compensated for by a series of proprietary processing algorithms.
- Uses a compact bridge display to present an operator selectable trailing average of significant wave height with an overall system accuracy of better than +20 cm.
- Easily interfaced to other shipboard systems.
When used in conjunction with industrial or civil infrastructure control systems, these critical seconds of warning can be leveraged to save lives, minimize runaway failure modes in critical structures, and shut down gas and electricity feeds to infrastructureminimizing fire risk to assets after the seismic event.
Typically draught measurement systems require the installation of pressure transducers which penetrate the hull of a vessel below the waterline. These systems operate by estimating the draught based on the pressure readings at predefined locations of the hull and they are subject to errors due to wave action and water density. The pressure transducer penetrations are inaccessible; they can only be serviced when the vessel is in dry dock. The installation and maintenance of such systems must be scheduled either during construction, or when the vessel goes for a major refit, which makes these types of systems very expensive to maintain.
Weir-Jones Engineering offers an innovative method for vessel draught measurement by accurately defining the position of the water plane in real- time. This is a truly non-invasive draught measurement technology, and is known as Automated Draught Indicator System, or ADIS™. The ADIS™ system is equipped with multiple ultrasonic transceivers mounted above the waterline. In the standard configuration, each transceiver generates short bursts of energy and captures the reflections from the water surface. The embedded microprocessor in the sensor measures the travelling time of the generated energy wave and accurately determines the distance of the mean water surface from the sensors position and is accurate to +/-10mm.
Flexibility Serviceability SurvivabilitySeismic sensors are installed at intervals along the perimeter of the area under surveillance; there is no limit to the length of the perimeter, it can range from tens to tens of thousands of metres. The sensors are buried at a depth of 0.25 – 0.5m to pick up ground vibrations and then the acquired data is processed by a computer to obtain the location of the source.
In addition to Weir-Jones’ suite of Marine solutions we also offers Bollard Pull Testing up to a 100 ton capacity. It is often a statutory or classification requirement to perform a Bollard Pull Test with a third party.
Weir-Jones maintains a set of calibrated bollard test testing gear which can be deployed to the ships home port. Using this equipment, the personnel will guide the captain through the Bollard Pull test procedure and record the forces measured.
The data will then be processed, plotted and a concise summary report will be supplied. This report can be used as verification of the vessel’s capacity.
For more than twenty-five years the Weir-Jones/Terrascience Groups have supplied ice force monitoring systems to vessel owners, the operators of offshore platforms and government agencies. The IDEAL™ family of ice force sensors ranges in size from the IDEAL™ panel to the Maxicell and the Microcell. The former may have an active area of 4m2 and are designed to be installed on fixed structures such as offshore platforms in ice infested waters or fixed structures.
A major installation of IDEAL™ panels is on the Confederation Bridge which spans the Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick in Eastern Canada. The Maxicell and Microcell on the other hand have much smaller active areas .03m2 and .003m2 respectively and were designed to be fitted to the bow plates of ice breakers and ice strengthened supply vessels where much higher ice loads are anticipated. All these devices are totally compatible with the data acquisition systems incorporated in HMON™ and VMON™.
Motion sickness on ships is an important issue for people prone to motion seasickness. Probability of occurrence of motion sickness symptoms grows with increasing duration of motion exposure. WJEC implementation of MSI measurement system is based on ISO standard 2631-1, 1997 which relates passenger’s acceleration exposure time and frequency.
Its components are:
- Bridge display showing current MSI, predicted MSI, compartment MSI, and alarms.
- Input data consists of readings of four triaxial sensor packages.
- Programmable inputs are location of sensors and passenger compartments.
The modular design of the HMON™ system allows it to be expanded to provide full Voyage Data Monitoring VMON™ capability. The resultant VMON™ systems meet classification society requirements, and can acquire and store the data generated by the hull monitoring systems as well as by other operational processes including radar, bridge/engine room voice communications, video and audio feeds and ADIS ™ data.
With VMON™ the following data can be integrated:
Time and Date
- AIS
- ADIS Data
- MSI Data
- WHAM Data
- HMON Data
- Vessel heading
- Vessel Speed
- Vessel Location
- Radar Video Data
- VHF Radio Audio