Condition Monitoring of Ground Anchorages by Dynamic Impulses: GRANIT system

The GRANIT system operates by applying an impulse of known force by means of an impact device that is attached to the tendon of the anchorage. The vibration response signals resulting from this impulse are complex in nature and require analysis to be undertaken in order to extract information from the vibrational response signatures that is relevant to the condition of the anchorage. In the system, the complicated relationship that exists between characteristics of an anchorage and its response to an impulse is identified and learned by a novel artificial intelligence network based on artificial intelligence techniques.

The results presented in this paper demonstrate the potential of the GRANIT system to diagnose the integrity of ground anchorages at a site near Stone, England, by using a trained neural network capable of diagnosing the post-tension level of the anchorage. This neural network was used for the diagnosis of load in a second ground anchorage adjacent to the original anchorage used for the training of the neural network. Further tests were taken with a different anchor head configuration of the anchorage and a different relationship between the signature response of the anchorage to an applied impulse and its post-tension level was found.

Problems encountered during the diagnosis of this second set of test signatures by the trained neural network are investigated with the use of a lumped parameter dynamic model. This model is able to identify the parameters in the anchorage system that affect this change in response signature. The results from the investigation lead to a new form of classification for the installed anchorages, based on their anchor head configuration.

Laboratory strand anchorage tests were undertaken in order to compare with and validate the results obtained from the field tests and the lumped parameter dynamic model.