The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for monitoring a structural foundation in a ground for a structure, wherein ground parameters are determined for the ground, based on the determined ground parameters a preliminary ground model is calculated by means of a computer unit, on which a design of the structural foundation is laid out taking into consideration specification data of the structure to be erected, during and/or after the production of the structural foundation measured values relating to settlements, distortions and/or forces on the structural foundation or the structure are recorded by means of measuring means, the measured values are forwarded to the computer unit which checks if the measured values are consistent with the preliminary ground model, and if the measured values are not consistent with the preliminary ground model, a subsequent ground model, in which the measured values are consistent with the new ground model, is calculated by the computer unit.

The present disclosure provides an effective stress cell for direct measurement of effective stress in saturated soil. The effective stress cell comprises a sensing diaphragm, a porous diaphragm, a connector and a strain sensor. The porous diaphragm allows pore-water to enter the interior space between the sensing diaphragm and the porous diaphragm to provide complete balance of pore-water pressures in the front and back of the sensing diaphragm. Thus, the effective stress cell can directly and accurately measure the effective stress in saturated soil using only one diaphragm at one location without measuring pore-water pressure.

A soil probing device includes a probing rod with a measuring probe, a driving for penetrating the probing rod into the ground, generators for generating acoustic compression and shear waves into the ground, detectors for detecting the generated acoustic compression and shear waves. The detectors are built into the measuring probe. Also the generators are built into the measuring probe at positions that are interspaced at fixed distances in a z-direction from the detectors in the measuring probe. A processing unit CPU is provided for calculating velocities of the generated acoustic compression and shear waves that get to travel from the generators towards the detectors through local ground layers that lie adjacent the measuring probe in between the generators and detectors.

A borescope may include a housing including a transparent viewing window, a bumper surrounding at least a portion of a periphery of the transparent viewing window, wherein the bumper is configured to be pressurized by a fluid, and at least one imaging assembly configured to visualize a field of view exterior of the housing through the transparent viewing window.

A borescope may include a housing including a transparent viewing window, a bumper surrounding at least a portion of a periphery of the transparent viewing window, wherein the bumper is configured to be pressurized by a fluid, and at least one imaging assembly configured to visualize a field of view exterior of the housing through the transparent viewing window.

Soil penetrometers capable of measuring soil reflectance along the direction of insertion of the penetrometer are provided. The penetrometer can house an array of sensors, such as, for example, a Vis-NIR reflectance sensor, a load cell, a displacement sensor, and a moisture sensor. The reflectance data collected using the penetrometer can allow the interpretation and quantification of soil constituents and contaminants at high vertical resolution, such as 3 cm or more.

A method of assessing soil heave includes providing a plurality of determined values of a shear modulus of soil, the determined values being values of the shear modulus of the soil at different times; and determining a change over time in the shear modulus of the soil, based on the plurality of determined values of the shear modulus of the soil. The soil may have been treated by adding a stabilizer to the soil. The soil may be hydrated. A system for assessing soil heave includes a bender element disposed in soil, for determining a change over time of a shear modulus of the soil, and a time domain reflectometer probe disposed in the soil, for determining a change over time of moisture content of the soil. The determined change over time of the shear modulus and the determined change over time of the moisture content are used to assess heaving of the soil.

The traditional limit equilibrium slice method does not consider the distribution of the interslice normal force when analyzing the slope stability. That is, the present invention takes into consideration the distribution of the acting positions of the thrust line, and thus provides a slope stability limit equilibrium calculation method based on the distribution characteristics of the interslice normal force. For the deep concave slip surface, it is found that the improved limit equilibrium method and the traditional limit equilibrium method have a large error in the safety factor, which is as high as about 20%. The method of the present invention has the characteristics of simplicity and reliability, and will provide more accurate results for slope stability analysis.

The traditional limit equilibrium slice method does not consider the distribution of the interslice normal force when analyzing the slope stability. That is, the present invention takes into consideration the distribution of the acting positions of the thrust line, and thus provides a slope stability limit equilibrium calculation method based on the distribution characteristics of the interslice normal force. For the deep concave slip surface, it is found that the improved limit equilibrium method and the traditional limit equilibrium method have a large error in the safety factor, which is as high as about 20%. The method of the present invention has the characteristics of simplicity and reliability, and will provide more accurate results for slope stability analysis.

A gravity-type pore pressure dynamic penetration device for exploration of shallow-layer seabed soil includes a third drop hammer, a second drop hammer, a first drop hammer, a stable empennage, and a probe rod which are sequentially arranged from top to bottom. A sidewall friction sleeve is arranged outside a probe rod lower cylinder. A friction sleeve sensor is provided on an inner sidewall of the sidewall friction sleeve. A fast pore water pressure sensor, a conical tip pressure sensor, a temperature compensation sensor, and an inclinometer sensor are provided in the middle of the probe rod lower cylinder. A second pore water pressure sensor and an acceleration sensor are provided in the middle of a probe rod upper cylinder. The tail portion of the probe rod, that is, the upper portion of the probe rod upper cylinder is connected to the stable empennage.