TECHNOLOGY OF REAL-TIME SOIL DEFORMATION MONITORING

SYSTEM (RSDMS)

M.A. Mohd Din1 , Z. Harun 2 and L. Kang Wei 3

1,2,3
Department of Civil Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya,
50603 Kuala Lumpur.

Email: mokhtarazizi@um.edu.my, shiromachilkw@hotmail.com

Abstract

This research study has identified four contributing factors to the success of
monitoring tasks activity by a Real-time Soil Deformation Monitoring
System (RSDMS). The first factor is the ability to achieve highly accurate
observation. Secondly, it is the maximum reliability of the system. Thirdly,
the automatic measurement and computation factors and the least is
RSDMS has emails alert function to alert undersign engineer with up to
date deformation data. To meet this objective the RSDMS is being
developed using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 which systematically measure
and trace for any alteration in the coordinates of monitoring prisms which
are potentially caused by soil movements. The RSDMS equipped with
functions of logging measured values used for post processing, carry out
deformation analysis, targets health checks and events triggering alarm thus
will provide a simple, low cost and functional way to record the absolute 3-
D displacements especially for a large number of monitoring points. The
TM30 robotic total station is used as a geodetic measuring device in
RSDMS. All the collected data are then transferred back to the server by
using Files Transfer Protocol (FTP) method subsequently processed with
STAR*NET, the program embedded in the system for data analysis by
Least Squares Adjustment. Any adjusted coordinate differences from the
initial survey data will be analyzed further by the targets health check
function of the RSDMS thus sending alert emails with event details to the
designated authority.

Keywords: Real-Time Monitoring, Robotic Total Station, GeoCOM,

Visual Basic 6.0, Least Squares Adjustment

Introduction

The measurement technique for spatial data collection for industrial measurement and
deformation detection usually employed by surveyors are based on the geodetic method.
Industrial measurement and deformation detection commonly consists of data collection and
processing modules. Data collection is one of the important aspects where all the spatial
information collected must not contain gross error (Wolf and Ghilani, 2006). Gross error is
normally contributed from surveyor or observer blunders. Observer blunders are usually
caused by misunderstanding of the problem, carelessness, fatigue, missed communication or
poor judgment (Mikhail, 1976; Wolf and Ghilani, 2002). Software implementation during
data gathering can reduce and avoids gross error or observer blunders.

This paper deals with real time data acquisition for industrial deformation application.
RSDMS has 2 computerized programs where installed in remote terminal unit (RTU) at
monitoring site and in processing server in laboratory, the first one is RSDMS Measurements
Control, functioned as a interactive software to send and receive commands from Total
Station. It has to established communication with robotic total station and carry out data
acquisition work. The database management system will be implemented to support huge
amount of raw measurement data. Open Database Connectivity or ODBC will be used for
this software system and linked to Microsoft Access, all measured data will be store in
Microsoft Access database for further processes. The measurement data collected from InDA
was verified by commercial software Leica GeoMos. The second program is RSDMS Process
and Analysis, it’s able to receive raw data from RTU with FTP technology and perform post
processing, subsequently send alert emails to end users. The raw data will be process by
Star*Net software using an embedded program initialized function within SDAnaS program.
With integration of these 2 programs, RSDMS has become interacting, interrelated, or
interdependent software and hardware elements forming a complex whole for deformation
monitoring that, once set up, does not require human input to function. The motivation inside
this research have considered several factors such as expensive price and licensing for
commercial software, error in measurement data issues and analysis aspect in commercial
software. Due to this problem, RSDMS is developed as a low cost software system, to
minimize the error in measurement, and provide robust analysis.

1. Research’s Objectives

There are three objectives to be achieve in the research. The first objective is to develop a
control program to communicate with total station for taking measurements. Subsequently, a
program needed to process raw data from total station in order to get resultant coordinates for
each measurement cycle. Finally, an analysis program used to detect alert value and generate
alarm or warning emails to end users. With completion of these three objective, users are able
to get informed with real-time soil deformation value.

2. Methodology

Surveying technology allows the determination of 3-dimensional (3D) coordinates and

movement. Current technology provides robotic total stations (RTS) that are able to measure
angle with an accuracy of ± 0.5” (0.15 mgon) and distance with an accuracy of ±
1mm+ppm in standard measurement mode (Leica Geosystems, 2000). For example,
TCA1800 produces by Leica Geosystems AG, which is designed for conducting deformation-
monitoring survey. Many researchers have used the TCA2003 model for industrial
measurement like automatically search and lock target prisms within seconds see Dünish and
Kuhlman (2001) and Kuhlmann (2001). Their studies claimed that tracking moving target is
possible with RTS in setting out rail geometry. Radovanovic and Teskey (2001) used Leica
TCA2003 for measuring several points in continuous mode and the results were compared
with GPS technique. Lutes et al. (2001) implemented DIMONS software (and supported by
Leica TCA2003) for monitoring a water reservoir dam in Canada. With this latest technology,
the RTS allows the measurement of many points on a surface. Then the points will be
monitored within a short period of time. All the operations are done using Automatic Target
Recognition (ATR) technology (Leica Geosystem, 2000), where each prism can be found
automatically. The instrument selected in this study is Leica TM30. It has 1 second of Angle
measuring accuracy with 1mm + 2ppm distance measuring accuracy. It also have motor
driven mechanism which can be controlled using the software to perform data recording at
predefined time intervals or manually should the situation requires. Measurements can be
carried out remotely from the computer.

Hardware communication is a crucial part for this research, communication protocols needed
to be comprehenced before enter software developing state. GeoCom protocols will be
implemented in RSDMS Measurement and Control program using Visual Basic computer
language. GeoCom is implemented as a point to point communication system the two
communication participants are known as the client (external device) and the server (TM30
total station). The cummunication unit consists of a request and a corresponding reply. Hence,
after communication takes place when the client sends a request to the server and the server
sends a reply back to the client. RSDMS system operation procedure are illustrated as Figure
1 A control program will be develop as a component to RSDMS named RSDMS
Measurement & Control program (SDMonS). The duty of this program are to establish
communication with robotic total station from remote terminal unit (RTU) and carry out data
accquisition procedure. The raw measured data will first stored in RTU Microsoft Access
database before being FTP through broadband network back to processing server.

In processing server, RSDMS Process & Analysis program (SDAnaS) will take charge of the
raw data. SDAnaS will first convert raw data into Star*Net input format follow by initiate
Star*Net least square processing functions for data adjustments. After least square processing
procedure, the deformed coordinates of each monitoring point will be extracted to compare
with initial coordinates to get actual deformed measurements. SDAnaS also embeded with
soil deformation alert function. The program will check throug the deformed measurements
with a preset allowable deformed value, if any deformation exceeded the allowable value
alert emails will be send to designated emails address for alert purposes. Engineers or
researchers may spare time to take mitigation strategies to counterfeit soil deformation
situation.
 Figure 1. Diagram of RSDMS Configuration

Literature Review

Understand and make use of GeoCOM protocols

communication with TM30 Robotic Total Station operations

Develop RSDMS Measurement & Control program

(SDMonS) for communication between computer system and
Robotic Total station TM30

Develop RSDMS Process & Analysis program

(SDAnaS) for coordinates adjustments and act as data
delivering and publishing tools

Setup a system testing site and carry out testing on

RSDMS.

Prepare documentation and presentation for RSDMS

Figure 2. Methodology Research Flow Chart

3. Concept’s of RSDMS

RSDMS is developed for use on personal, laptop computer and Industrail PC with Microsoft
Window Me/2000/XP operation system. The monitoring system allows users to perform a
complete deformation monitoring in real-time data acquisition and analysis. RSDMS
monitoring procedure consist of 2 core programs named SDMonS and SDAnaS where
SDMonS is install in RTU on site to perform robotic total station controlling and data
accquisition works, SDAnaS is install in server to perform post processing and alert functions.

3.1. RSDMS Measurement & Control program (SDMonS)

Only Leica instruments in TPS1000 and TPS1100 system software family (e.g. Leica TCA
2003, Leica TCA 1800 and TM30) can be integrated with computer. The TPS system
software is built around the sensor element (On-board software), organizes and control
interplay of several sensor elements. It provides a set of function to access sensors. Figure 3
shows architecture of communication between TPS 1000/1100 software system with
computer. All these functions can be manipulated and controlled form GeoCOM Client (i.e.
software packages that developed by Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and VBA).

Figure 3. Client/Server Applications and GeoCOM Function (Leica Geosystems, 1999)

The functions (Figure 3) are grouped and organized as subsystems, the functions are:-
· AUT for Automation – Function to control ATR, change face and do positioning.
· BAP for Basic Application – Function used to get measurement data.
· BMM for Basic Man Machine – Function to control basic input/output
· COMF for communication – Function to handle basic communication parameter.
· COM for communication – Function to access some aspect of TPS 1000 control
which are related to communication.
· CSV for Central Services – Function to get or set central/ basic information about
TPS 1000.
· CTL for Control Task – Function contain system control task.
· EDM for Electronic Distance Measurement – Function module which measures
distance.
· SUP for Supervisor – Function to control general values of TPS 1000.
 · TMC for Theodolite Measurement and Calculation is a core module for getting
measurement data.
· WIR for Windows Registration – Function for GSI recording.

The communication module links the client to the server with serial communication
connection (RS232) by send and receive communication protocol called GeoCOM command
set. GeoCOM is based on SUN Microsystem’ Remote Procedure Call (RCPC) protocol thus
its able to recognize and act on certain sequences of character (commands) that sent via serial
port. With the low level of implementation, each procedure, which is executable on the
remote instrument, is assigned a remote procedure call identification number. This number is
used internally to associate with a specific request, including the implicit parameter to a
procedure on remote device (Leica Geosystems, 1999). GeoCOM provides an ASCII
interfacs for low level design, on the other hand, GeoCOM has provides normal function call
interfaces for high level design such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C/C++ and VBA
software developments.

Figure 4. Flow Diagram for Proposed RSDMS software system - Architecture of Instrument
Control and Data Acquisition Module
3.2 RSDMS Process & Analysis program (SDAnaS)
SDAnaS (Soil Deformation Analysis system) is given an objective to detect soil deformation.
SDAnaS developed using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 programming language, and uses robust
method of Iterative Weighted Similarity Transformation (IWST) for deformation detection
computation. SDAnaS consist of three parts, the first part is integration module, it convert
raw data from measurement cycles into STARNET (commercial LSE software) process data.
The program provoke STARNET processing via OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) and
convert LSE output to SDAnaS format for second part of the program. The second part is
deformation detection module, it will compare output from each cycle to the initial coordinate
for each point in the loop before produce a numerical real-time result of deformation. The
third part of the program is the function to send alert via emails to undersign users for
deformation result that over the preset threshold.

3.3 Verification Between RSDMS & Leica GeoMos

This research will adopts Leica GeoMos software to check the consistency, reliability and
capability of RSDMS Measurement & Control program (SDMonS). Fifty monitoring points
will be setup around the building with ten more reference points will be located at the edge of
group of monitoring points. A TM30 robotic total station with IPC (industrial PC) which
installed SDMonS will be setup on the building top as RTU (Remote Terminal Unit). Further
more, a computer with SDAnaS installed will setup in office for receive and process data.

4. Conclusion

This research focused on the development of RSDMS software for real-time automated data
capture and analysis for soil deformation monitoring applications. In order to accomplish the
research objectives, RSDMS has able to deliver real-time deformation results with
consistency. The approach of unique technical design in RSDMS guarantees the integrity that
is high accuracy, overall availability of the system and continuity of the instrument function
for rough construction needs. RSDMS has deployed on site to carry out monitoring
measurement for a month for data collection and system durablility test. test result showed
that RSDMS is able to deliver data according to the preset measurement cycle with
consistancy during testing period.

5. References

[1] Leica Geosystems (1999). GeoCOM Reference Manual. Switzerland: User Manual.
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of Butterwortt-Heinemann, Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX28DP: A Division of Reed
Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd
[3] Khairulnizam M Idris, Halim Setan (2008). Automation in Data Capture and Analysis for
Industrial/Deformation Surveying Using Robotic Total Station. Msc Thesis. University Teknologi
Malaysia.
[4] Miller, G. M. (1996). Modern Electronic Communication. 5th Edition. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall.
[5] Muhammad Asyran Che Amat (2007). Implementasi Pengoptimuman Komputer Dalam
Pembangunan Perisian Analisis Pelarasan Kuasa Dua Terkecil. Msc. Thesis. Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia.