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Cross Hole Ultrasonic Monitor
The CHUM (Cross Hole Ultrasonic Monitor) uses the Crosshole Sonic Logging CSL testing
method to perform high-resolution quality control of deep foundations.
Storage Unlimited
Appendices
A. Frequently asked questions
B. Troubleshooting
C. Definitions
1. Installation
Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista: The user you log into the system must be a member of the administrators group. After you have completed
the setup, the software is available for execution to all normal users.
Note: Before you can start using CHUM, you must fully charge the internal battery using the provided AC adapter until the orange LED is
dimmed.
2. GETTING FAMILIAR
The CHUM system consists of the following components:
CHUM instrument
A pair of depth meters pulleys
Two depth cables: A simple ("I") type for normal CSL use and a double ("Y") cable for tomography
Two ultrasonic transceivers (each is emitter and receiver)
Computer (Not provided)
AC power adapter
12 V DC car battery adapter (Optional)
CHUM instrument contains the following inside the rugged housing :
Battery: The CHUM uses a Lithium-Ion battery, 11.1V 4.4 Ah that offers high capacity and improved performance enabling up to two
days of typical use. The battery has almost no "memory" problems, and does not need to be discharged periodically. The battery has
almost no loss of power while in storage, and requires no maintenance.
A microcontroller, data conditioning, processing and acquisition circuits.
CHUM connector panel. The respective connectors and controls on this panel are from top to bottom:
1. Power (from either AC or car battery source)
2. USB – When plugging the USB connector to a computer, the system is turned on.
The USB cable can be pushed in or pulled out in order to best fit the computer's USB port location.
3. Green LED
ON to indicate all internal power supplies are OK
Blinks 10 times at 2Hz when the unit is started (USB plugged into a computer) – indicating the firmware is OK
A faint blink every ~3sec when the system enters suspend mode (after 30 seconds of inactivity) – the suspend mode
saves battery life and the system resumes automatically when needed.
A short blink for each transmitted pulse
4. Orange LED
ON to indicate charging circuit is OK
Blinks to indicate intermittent charging (empty battery)
Lights bright to indicate continuous charging
Dims down when battery is fully charged
5. Emitter socket
6. Receiver socket
7. Depth meter socket
Hardware features
1. Automatic gain control: CHUM has 8 gain levels, from X1 (5v), to X256 (~20mv). The gain is adjusted automatically to
acquire the maximal number of bits without saturating the A/D acquisition card
2. Excellent signal to noise ratio:
3. Low power consumption
4. Automatic Suspend mode
Depth meters: Both contain a bi-directional rotary encoder. The encoder generates an exact number of pulses per revolution and should be
self-calibrated.
Two Transducers and Cables: The dual-purpose transducers contain piezo-electric ceramic elements that generate signals of 50 kHz
(nominal frequency). Each transducer can function as either emitter or receiver, depending on the socket it is plugged into
Each transducer is attached via a pressure-proof connector to 50 meter polyurethane-coated cables wound on a reel. The cables may also
be ordered in lengths of 100 or 150 meter. Other lengths are available upon request.
3. Getting Started
Switch on the computer, and wait for the Windows main screen to appear.
Make sure that the emitter, receiver and depth cables are connected to the panel.
Plug the USB cable into the computer.
Start CHUM software. The CHUM main screen will appear
Click [FILE] and then [NEW PROJECT] buttons (or the blue "Start a new project" link, or the left icon) link, then choose the name (or
number) of a new project. For this lesson you may use the name "TEST".
Optionally enter any suitable text on the TITLE and SUBTITLE lines.
Important: Before testing your first pile, you must calibrate the depth meter See Depth Calibration
3.1. Testing
From CHUM's main screen, Press the big plus [+] button to activate the pile screen
[Save] exits the wizard and saves all changes and all details. Changes are also saved automatically after each log is taken
[Save compact] Only arrival time and energy are recorded in the files. Files are tiny but no FAT picking can be done after they are saved,
and no waterfall presentation can be done (The ASTM standard may require it)
[More 6] Opens advanced pile options
Cut all – Cuts the all profiles top (tube-stick-up) so that profiles will have the same length
Report – prints a report for this pile only. Which is convenient for on-site printing. To produce a detailed report, see Reporting
Edit tube distances – see Define tube distances
Consult with piletest.com – Send this for getting a second opinion from Piletest.com
3DT – Perform three-dimensional tomography (Optional CHUM component)
The drop-down menu above the pile scheme enables you to choose one of many available schemes you may be going to test. You may
choose among:
A pile with up to 4 access tubes named N, S, E and W respectively
A pile with 2 to 15 access tubes numbered 1...N clockwise (1 is Northernmost by convention)
A straight diaphragm wall element (barrette) with up to 6 access tubes
A diaphragm wall element with 6X2 tube arrangement
A pile with a single access tube (AKA single hole test)
After you have selected the scheme , you can rotate using the [P] and [Q] icons to the correct azimuth. This only effects the reporting and
has no other meaning.
There are several ways to specify the profiles you want to test:
Fastest: Click on the [ALL] icon to define all combinations. After you have finished testing you can use the [Clear Untested] button to
remove the redundant combinations only.
Coolest: Using the stylus, draw a line between the tubes (You can specify more then one profile in one broken line). To specify single-hole
tests, draw a circle around one of the tubes. This input is very convenient when using a stylus (as opposed to a mouse)
Advanced: Click on the small [+] button below the profiles list to show the new profile screen
You may enter any name, but only names made of two tube letters/numbers will appear in the scheme graphics. Other profile names will be
reported, but cannot be assigned to tubes.
Please note that the profile letters/numbers have a significant meaning when performing Tomography
Tested profiles are painted with a thick, red line, this way you can always see which profiles are still untested.
To delete a profile, either:
Select it from the list and press [X]
Re-draw over it
Press [Clear untested] (if the profile was net yet tested)
If the profile was tested, you must confirm the delete
F TIP: Under normal conditions, piles should be tested at a concrete age of around seven days. Testing should not be performed earlier
than 2 days after concrete placement, as the curing process may be slower in certain areas. Also, tube de-bonding (separation of tube from
concrete, in plastic tubes) becomes more likely as time after concrete placement increases. For this reason, interpreting the data may
become much more difficult if testing is performed, about two weeks or more, after concrete placement.
F TIP: For CSL testing, the pile to be tested has at least two embedded access tubes. The diameter of the tubes should exceed the
transducer diameter by at least 10 mm, and they should be checked for clearance throughout their length. The tubes should have been filled
with clean water either prior to or soon after concrete placement.
Place the depth meters on top of two of these tubes, and lower both emitter and receiver all the way to the bottom.
Click on the profile to be tested (or highlight it and press [Next]) and the leveling screen will appear.
F TIP: It is possible to press [Next] before lowering the cables, this will let you monitor the approximated tube length
3.3. Define tube distances
The ASTM standard requires all tube distances to be reported.
For tomography, tube distances MUST be entered
To enter tube distances, select "tube distances: [EDIT]" and enter the center-to-center distance for each tube pair
When enough tube pairs have been defined, you may use [Auto complete] to automatically calculate the position or all the other tube pairs.
This is useful for a large number of tubes
For example, in a four-tube pile, 5 of the 6 combinations must be entered to calculate the sixth, but for a 10-tube pile, only 18 of the 45
possible combinations must be entered, and the rest can be calculated.
F TIP: it is advisable to add some redundant measurements for cross-check. The algorithm will report the maximal error in this case.
3.4. Leveling
Testing is done by pulling from bottom to top. Before you start pulling, you should make sure that both transducers are at the initial test
position: At the same level, and as close to the bottom of the access tubes as possible.
On this screen you can see the following items, all designed to help you bring the transducers to the initial test position.
To the left, a black strip that scrolls from the bottom to the top of the screen, showing the relative signal strength (thickness of the
strip) and the first arrival time (FAT).
A thin line on the left is also indicating the FAT, but is heavily filtered and reacts slower to changes. The combination of the fast and
slow moving indicators gives a clear sense of the direction of change.
On the lower right hand side an oscilloscope windows, showing the signal shape, strength (gain) and automatically picked FAT
(triangle).
F TIP: Double-clicking the oscilloscope window maximizes and restores it. The window can also be moved and repositioned
A distance meter, giving the approximate distance between the transducers (in feet or meters).
If you intend to run tomography on this profile, check the [ ] Do Tomography. You must enter the tube distance for tomography.
Select the sample duration (500, 1000, 1500 or 2000 ms) which best fits the current profile distance.
If FAT is not picked up correctly, click the [FAT options] button to show the FAT options page
Click the [Options] button to change general options (Sample spacing, unit system and profile compression) using the options page
If you are lowering the transducers while in this screen, depth from top (H) is displayed, click on the depth label to reset it.
Using the controls
While in the leveling screen, move any of the transducers up or down, in order to bring them to the same level. This is accomplished by
observing the following indicators:
The black strip being closest to the left hand side of the screen and also the widest.
The signal on the Scope window is strongest (low gain).
Distance on the meter is minimal (This should be roughly equal to the measured distance between the tubes).
F TIP: Always level the transducers in a clean concrete zone. If the pile has a soft bottom, perform the leveling a few feet (~1m) above
the bottom, and only than lower both cables carefully together to the bottom before continuing
Having satisfied the leveling criteria, click [Next], and the pulling prompt will appear.
F TIP: Select the "use sounds and voices" option to have the "pull" command spoken to you using the default system voice. See Options
At this stage start pulling both cables together, hand after hand, as smoothly as possible until both transducers reach the top. The rate of
pulling should be no more then 40 samples per second, if the vertical spacing is set to 5cm, this will be up to 2.0m/s (which is very
fast)
3.6. Logging
The data collection screen is very similar to the leveling screen except for a vertical depth axis along the signal strip on the left side of the
screen, as well as no distance (between transducers) presented in the meter area.
The plot will scroll upward as the cables are pulled up. In suspect areas of concrete, The transducers can be raised and lowered in suspect
zones to increase the number of data points taken. The plot of the signal strength will scroll along up and down as the cables are pulled up
and down.
Suspect zones will be noticeable when the strip is thinner and/or when the left edge of the strip is further away from the depth axis (increase
in FAT). When you have finished pulling, click the [Next] button, The profile will be automatically saved, and the Analysis screen displayed
When tomography is performed, this screen has some additional controls, and pulling is performed in a special way. See Tomography
3.7. Analysis
At this stage, the results of the test are displayed on the screen as shown below. There a few options for this display, and the "Lines Plot"
mode is the most common. In this form, the first arrival time (FAT) and the attenuation registered at the receiver are shown as a function of
depth. A local increase of FAT or attenuation may indicate an anomaly.
Controls description from top to bottom
The profile name (34 above) can be changed
Profile specific notes may be entered (e.g. anomaly at 3.5m)
[Presentation] Change the presentation mode
[<] and [>] Move to next/previous profile
[<<] and [>>] Move to next/previous pile
[+] and [-] zoom in and out
[ Filter=n ] FAT and Energy filtering (0 = no filter, 5=heavy filtering) (Read about filters)
[ More 6 ] show advanced options menu:
Save as CSV (Excel data format) - Compact or detailed
The profile is saved in CSV format (Plain text format with comma delimiter) and Excel (or any other associated application) is
launched
Detailed file contains full waveform information. Read about using this feature
Cut to length - enter a length to which to cut from the top of this pile. Useful when the access tubes are sticking out of the concrete in
different levels.
Wave Speed Calculator – A simple test method for accurately measuring the wave speed read more…
["] remove the top or bottom of the profile log
Erasing the top of the log is sometimes used if the access tube are raised much higher then the pile top surface
Erasing the log bottom may be used if the cables were pulled with too much slack, but should usually be avoided.
[FAT] start the FAT utility form to analyze the data more thoroughly,
[Clear] Delete the data you just collected (Warning: You will have to redo the test!)
4. Common Tasks
4.1. Start a new project
From the main menu, select [File]-[New project]
Verify that the "Home folder" points to the correct path, or click [Home Folder] to change it
Enter the project's name or number and click [OK]
CHUM will create a new folder under the home folder, and will create the file PISA.PROJECT
F TIP: Use project numbers, rather than names. This makes finding and managing many projects simpler
5. Options
The options page [Tools]-[Options] consists of two tab sheets: Logger and General
Units: Select if the system is using Metric (m) or English (Feet and Inch) units
Software keyboard: Check this option to have automatic screen keyboard popup when an alpha-numeric input is required. This option is
only useful for keyboard-less computers
Unit Code: Changes the first character prefix of new generated pile files (e.g. the 'A' in A0002782.9_2.PILE) If you have more than one
CHUM unit, assign each unit a unique code ('A', 'B', etc.) to avoid name collisions which might otherwise happen if the same project is being
tested by several CHUM units.
(See also Projects, Sub-sites and files)
Use Sounds and Voices: Disable or enable voice instructions. CHUM is using the default Windows voice, accessible via [Control
panel]-[Speech]-[Text to speech]. You can control the voice personality and speed.
To perform depth calibration, simply select [Tools]-[Depth calibration] and follow the wizard,
Verify repeatability by re-running the wizard.
For your reference, here is an extract from ASTM 6760-08 (Standard Test Method for Integrity Testing of Concrete Deep Foundations by Ultrasonic Crosshole
Testing)
6.3.6 Transducer Depth-Measuring Device ...
The depth-measuring device shall be
accurate to within 1 % of the access duct length, or 0.25 m,
whichever is larger
You can control the area of the three zones, and change the logic operator ("AND" / "OR") as well as to ignore attenuation altogether, and
use just velocities.
Dynamic threshold:
A Piletest.com algorithm which uses a threshold level based on the pulse amplitude
Minimum Time: You can set this limit so that the signal picking routine will not look for a shorter FAT. For example, a delay of 200 mSec will
cause all FATs to be 200msec or higher. Please note that this time should be sufficiently lower than the minimum wave travel time between
the tubes for normal quality concrete. Example: 250msec for tubes 3 feet apart and a typical 12,000 ft/sec concrete wave velocity (t=L/C).
The minimum time is represented as the horizontal position of a small red triangle.
Threshold Ratio: This is a limit that is referenced to the pulse amplitude. In general, a higher ratio means that the program will pick FATs
sooner, but is also more sensitive to noise. The signal is typically strongest in the earlier portion of the record after the first few peaks. A
ratio, for example, of 10 means that the first occurrence of a signal amplitude 1/10 of the maximum is defined as the FAT. Typical value is
around 10 to 20, but under poor test conditions, lower values may be required.
Minimum Level: This is an absolute limit that does not depend on the background noise level. If the threshold is lower than say 10 mV, then
anything lower before the first 10mv peak will be ignored. This option is rarely needed and may usually kept 0, it comes into effect in very
week signals and is mainly kept for backward compatibility
Fixed threshold:
Old-Fashioned picking, threshold value is fixed.
Automatic:
A Piletest.com proprietary algorithm, no additional settings are needed.
Read more here for algorithm explanation.
STA/LTA
Stands for "Short Term Average / Long Term Average"
Description:
A window of defined size is moved along the time axis and measures the average of samples in this window.
Another window of larger size follows the first one
FAT is defined as the earliest point where the ratio between the two averages exceeds a user-defined ratio
Typical values are:
Window size: 6
Ratio: 1.6
ref: Caltech Earthquake Detection and Recording (CEDAR) system [Johnson, 1979].
5.6. Presentation
The presentation window is accessible from the Analysis page, or from the Report page.
You can select the presentation mode among the currently available methods:
Line Plot, with a combination of the following curves
FAT [micro seconds]
A colored flag at FAT+20%
Either Relative energy [unit-less] or Attenuation [dB] - but not both
Apparent velocity [m/s of feet/s]
washed-out Waterfall background
(Note – the ASTM standard requires that waterfall presentation will be added if any filtering is used)
Dual
Waterfall
Fuzzy logic tomography (*)
Parametric tomography (*)
* - Only if the data was collected with diagonal readings using two depth encoders (Tomography)
Color - select the color for the presentation. When selecting a color, consider your final report capabilities:
Can your printer print in color or in gray shade
Is the report going to be faxed? most faxes are B&W only
6. Reporting
The reporting options are divided between three tab sheets
Report contents
Filtering
Layout options
Once you click [OK], a report file called report1.rtf is generated and your assigned word processor is started on it. You can then edit the
report, merge it with other documents, e-mail it, etc.
See also: [Page setup dialog] [Report style]
Check [X] Project Totals to produce a table specifying the number of piles and profiles and the total length of piles and profiles for each
sub-site
Check [X] Project Summary to produce a table stating the measured length of each profile, and related comments recorded with it.
[ ] Site Plan is not yet implemented
Check [X] Detailed report to produce a table for each pile, including graphs and all recorded details, the [Options] tab is only available if
this option is checked
You may select to report all piles, piles from the latest month or from the latest visit.
If a pile is selected in the main page, a fourth option is displayed for reporting only the selected pile
Check [X] Include non-tested piles will include piles which have no recorded logs in the final report.
F TIP: You cannot mix several presentation modes, scales, etc in one report. You may, however, achieve this by cutting and pasting two
separate reports
F TIP: You may select several items from the list on the left by pressing the [shift] or [control] keys while pointing on items. This way you
can change the appearance of several items together.
F TIP: underscores (_) are converted to spaces. Append a few underscores to your prompts to unsure proper tabulation of titles labels
and values.
F TIP: Avoid using too many font styles in your report; a good-looking report usually uses two to three font styles at the most.
Your currently selected printer name is displayed on top, and you can control the margins size on each side of the report page (mm)
7.Advanced options
7.1. Enable/Disable features
From CHUM's main menu select [Tools]-[Enable/Disable features] to activate the features manager.
The checklist represents the enabled features. By default, all features are enabled, and you may choose to disable some for one or more of
the following reasons:
To simplify the use of CHUM by hiding features you never use.
To limit the amount of control you give the field technician.
To prevent possible operation errors in the field
To enforce a specific usage pattern on your team.
If you wish to protect (to some degree) the changes, you may select a password. After you select a non-empty password, you will be
requested to re-enter it each time you start the feature manager.
F Tip: If you forgot your password - look it up in the file CHUM.INI, stored under your user’s "application data" folder
Note: There is no way to really protect this password from malicious users.
In some cases, the FAT will not be selected correctly by the software. This tool is powerful for manually adjusting the automated FAT signal
picking routine performed by the software. There are two major methods available for picking the FAT signals by yourself; manually or
automatic.
Manually: Click on the signal trace on the right hand side of the screen. A highlighted signal will be shaded. Please note that a small circle
will appear on the left side highlighting where the particular signal is in the plot. Remember that in this screen, vertical position is from the
bottom. You can directly pick the FAT in the signal by moving the mouse to the point where you think it should be and then click the left
mouse button. The FAT will be delineated by the two diagonals intersecting at the FAT on the horizontal (time) axis. The time of the FAT (in
Microseconds) will be shown in the data area. The highlighted circle in the depth plot on the left will move accordingly depending on where
you selected the FAT on the signal plot on the right. Additional data such the depth (in meters/inches) and scale are also shown in this area.
Automatically: This option is very powerful as it can change the FAT for all applicable signals along the pile. Click on [Calc] to enter the
automatic FAT picking menu.
Once you have selected the values, click on [Close]. The program will then recalculate all of the FATs for the entire profile. You will see a
change in the plot of the individual FATs. If you agree with the FATs, than click accept. Click [Cancel] to go back and ignore any changes.
The last button in the FAT signal picking screen is the [Actions 5] button. Use this to:
Change the view of the signals, You may view the raw data and/or the filtered data and/or the signal envelope
Delete / undelete any signals that you have highlighted on the right.
Restore all previously deleted signals (as long as you have not left the FAT signal picking screen).
Copy the highlighted pulse shape to the Windows clipboard. You may than paste it into your report
USB Connects to the CHUM hardware via USB, in order to test piles. In the field CHUM should only select this data source
Compact CSV contains the profile details, and the individual pulses FAT and Energy
Detailed CSV contains, in addition to the compact data, each of the pulses shape.
CHUM now asks you for a filename and location to store the CSV file, the default file name is <pilename>.<profile name>.CSV, for
example if you save profile NS of pile 3-1, the default filename suggested is 3-1.NS.CSV:
Once you saved the file, CHUM will try to launch the associated application (such as Excel), if this does not work, start your spreadsheet
application and open the saved CSV file.
NOTE: If you get a "file not loaded completely" message, simply ignore it.
Cells description
A2..F2 Project name, Pile name, Profile name, Filter, tubes distance (cm), profile notes
Row 3 - Samples headings:
Column Title Description Units
B D2 Secondary depth encoder readings (identical to D1 if not tomography was done) cm from bottom
C T0 FAT microseconds
G Number of samples how many samples are taken for one pulse Samples
Use the ["] (scissors) icon to trim the top or bottom part of the profile, keeping only the part where the FAT pickings are reliable.
Enter the exact distance between the test tubes.
Select [ More 6 ]-[Wave Velocity Calculator]
The velocity and R2 (coefficient of determination) are replacing the profile notes,
e.g. "Velocity=4200m/s, R^2=0.998"
Internally, CHUM is using a linear regression on the distance vs. FAT vector; the slope of the trend line is the wave speed.
Advantages over laboratory test of a concrete cylinder sample:
Intuitive
Large sample size: on samples close in size to the wavelength, the wave speed is different than the one in a real pile
Averaging many samples, eliminating intermittent noises
Affordable: No special equipment or test method is needed
Independent of constant delays
Good indication of the test reliability (R2)
9. Tomography
The equipment
To perform tomography, you should have two instrumented depth meters, and a suitable "Y" depth cable.
Overview
In CHUM, perform tomography by pulling both transducers together, normally, and when passing a suspected zone, raise and lower each of
the transducers in a special way to collect diagonal readings. Once the suspected zone is "covered" from all angles, level the transducers
and keep pulling normally up to the top of the pile or the next suspected zone.
See here a general discussion about tomography
The primary depth encoder is always assigned to the first profile letter and the secondary, to the second letter.
For example:
When logging profile "34", place the primary encoder on tube "3" and the secondary on tube "4".
When logging profile "NS", place the primary encoder on tube "N" and the secondary on tube "S".
If you have mistakenly logged the data in the wrong way, you should re-log the profile, or simply rename it to "43" or "SN".
On the tomography plot, the primary channel is always on the left.
The right transducer is lowered in small step and for A schematic way to describe the procedure is by plotting
each step, a "fan" of samples is performed by the D1 against D2
second transducer (It does not matter which of D1 and D2 is primary or
secondary)
In words:
1. Pull both transducers horizontally until above and out of the defective zone (Point A)
2. Keep #1 steady, and lower #2 until the signal is almost lost (You can go over +/- 45deg)
3. Keep #2 steady and lower #1 by a small increment (about 2-4 inch)
4. Keep #1 steady and raise #2 until the signal is almost lost, or both #1 and #2 are above the suspected zone
5. Again, Keep #2 steady and lower #1 by a small increment (about 2-4 inch)
6. go to step 2 until both #1 and #2 are below the defect zone (Point B)
7. Level #1 and #2 to horizontal (+/- 2deg) and continue pulling upwards till the top, or the next suspected zone
Once the data points are collected, they can be viewed and reported in all presentation modes. The data can also be presented in the
one-dimensional lines plot or waterfall presentation. For this, the software filters-out the diagonal readings and uses only the horizontal ones.
F TIP: When doing tomography, change the vertical spacing in the options logger tab to a smaller value, such as 2-3cm (0.75" – 1.0")
See also: Signal classification options
Types of tomography
CHUM supports the following tomography methods
Real time (Based on simplified fuzzy-logic)
Fuzzy-logic
Parametric
Three Dimensional (3DT)
The data points for all types of tomography are collected in the same way. For 3DT, enough profiles must be collected to cover the pile’s
cross volume.
3D tomography
Open the Pile details page and select [More6] and [3DT]
(Or run the CHUM3DT directly from the start menu)
The 3DT wizard opens
Follow the wizard to perform the matrix inversion (can take some minutes, or significantly more, depending on the data and computer power)
The calculations results are kept in a file, and in the next time, you can just view the results instead of re-calculating them.
Once the calculations are done, the following screen appears:
3D Image pane: Moving, tilting and zooming the pile.
Action Mouse Other
Rotate the camera around the pile axis Drag Left-Right: -
Move the camera AND the view point up or down Drag Up-Down -
Right Drag + Up-Down
Move the camera up or down, keeping the view (Tilting the pile) -
Ctrl + Mouse: Drag Up-Down
Zoom in or out Wheel up-down Zoom in/out icons
Show/Hide the vertical slice disk Click on mouse wheel Menu: View - slice plane
Revert to the initial view (If you are "Lost in space") - Toolbar: top icon
View the pile's toe Toolbar: bottom icon
Change threshold speed Click/Drag on the palette -
You may also use a joy stick, if one is connected to your system.
The 3D image is plotted using the whole pane width. Drag the separator splitter between the panes to enlarge it, or even hide some panes to
get more viewing area.
Horizontal slices
From the [View] menu, select [Slice plane] in order to show a semi-transparent plane showing the slice level. Drag the pile up or down to
control the slice elevation. Where available, the middle mouse button, or clicking on the mouse wheel can be used for the same purpose.
The whole horizontal slice pane can be hidden by selecting [Horizontal slices] from the [View menu]. The [-] icon on the pane can also be
used for that.
You may instruct the software to collect all the horizontal slices that have low wave speeds by selecting [Tools]-[Collect...]. the slices are
collected into a list, you may remove slices from the list by clicking the small [-] icon on the upper-left corner of each slice. Clicking on the
slice moves the pile to that level.
The profile is plotted using the whole pane width. Drag the vertical splitter between the panes to enlarge it.
Vertical slices
Drag the [A] and [B] positions around the pile to define your profile. [A] will be presented on the left.
The profile is plotted to scale (without X-Y distortion) using the whole pane width. Drag the vertical splitter between the panes to enlarge it.
Reporting
Reporting is done by a "copy n’ paste" operation, directly into your report document. select one of the [Edit]-[copy]-[...] options to copy the
desired image into your clipboard.
Switch to your report document, and press Ctrl+V to paste the graphics. Repeat with all the needed graphics.
Note that when pasting directly into your word processor, the slices graphics are copied using a vector format. Using this format the images
size can be enlarged and reduced without losing resolution. the format is also more compact in size. The 3D graphics are created in a simple
raster (photo) format.
Generating a 3D movie
From the [Movie] menu, select [Action] to start recording. Move the 3D image around to show the anomalies from the best view angles, and
select [Cut n’ print] to generate the MPEG movie. During the recording, watch the number of frames and the movie file size on the bottom
status bar.
F TIP 1: In order to get smaller file size movies and faster response during recording resize the window to a smaller size before starting .
F TIP 2: Movie segments can be easily edited and narrated using a video editing software, such as the free "Windows movie maker" by
Microsoft.
What type of computer can we use with your equipment, storage etc.
For testing on site, the ideal computer is a Tablet PC, running Windows XP/Vista. We have had excellent experience with
tablets, and they are highly recommended.
You can use a regular notebook computer on site, as long as it runs Windows XP or higher and has a USB port
Note that the LCD display of normal notebook computers is NOT designed to work outdoors, and its brightness cannot compete with the
sunlight.
For office work you can use any Windows computer and printer.
All our instruments are computer based, under the Windows operating system. The same software is used for testing in the
field and analysis and reporting in the office.
Bulging has a negligible effect on attenuation, while necking has a marked one.
What is the unit 'dB' used for calculating the attenuation and what is its dimension?
Decibels are commonly used as a relative measurement of attenuation on a log scale. You can read more in
http://arts.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_background/TE-06/teces_06.html. The dB is convenient for our purpose, because it enables us
assign numerical values to attenuation and thus define anomalies quantitatively.
With the CHUM you can test piles of any diameter to depths of 145m!
Absolutely, you can test any concrete piles. The normal amount of reinforcement (<1%) has no influence on the results.
I have a question concerning the CHUM module. Currently we are working on a project in which we are trying to locate an
existing below ground tunnel. The tunnel is located in the Cooper Marl formation approximately 100 to 120 feet below the ground surface.
The Cooper Marl is a relatively homogeneous calcareous sandy, clayey silt typically used as the bearing layer for the Charleston area. It has
typical compressive wave velocities of 5400 ft/sec and shear wave velocities of 1400 ft/sec based on SCPTu testing. The tunnel was 8 feet
in diameter when constructed and may or not be lined. My question to you is could the CHUM be used to detect the tunnel? Our plan using
the CHUM would be to install inclinometer casing approximately 20 to 30 feet apart and use the tomography option to accurately locate the
tunnel. So my questions are: Is the concept feasible? In theory, I would think it is just like detecting a defect in a very weak concrete, but
theories have a way of staying theories. If so, would modifications to the CHUM hardware and software be required? The first arrival times
would be very long (on the order of 5 microseconds). What would be the approximate cost of these modification be and how long would it
take to make them? If not possible, could the CHUM receivers be used to detect shear waves? We were also thinking of possibly using shear
waves to detect the tunnel.
As the CHUM maximum range in high-quality concrete is 3-4 meters, I am afraid the energy emitted by the CHUM emitter is just
too low to reach those distances and still be of value. This may seem a drawback, but since the CHUM is designed to emit many thousands
of pulses per day and still be portable enough it is unavoidable. You will have therefore to consider other techniques.
In the visible graph while pulling out transducers, what does the width of the graph stand for, also what is meant by necking in
and out of the graph & also the projection of slight slashes in the graph pulse, please clarify with examples.
The width of the graph is proportional to the received energy. Small changes in real-time are usually noise. Larger changes
might indicate flaws. Post-processing usually reveals more information. Slight slashes - I'm, not sure what you mean. If it is the diagonal lines
on the pulse scope - those are merely a graphical way of showing the FAT. If you meant the crisscross on the logging window - this comes to
show a difference between tested and untested areas. Since the display is practically B&W in direct sunlight - this is a simple way of showing
a "third" color.
What does the voltage in Scope Window stand for? Has the FAT any relationship with the voltage, as we have observed a
inverse proportionality between FAT & Voltage in site.(i.e as FAT increases Voltage decreases &vice versa) What should be the voltage
when we are about to start pulling.
CHUM is using Automatic Gain Control (AGC) - automatically changing the dynamic range of its A/D converter in order to use
the range that best fits the sample size. The voltage scale can change in eight levels between 5V, to 10mV. As the pulse amplitude drops -
CHUM is using a smaller range, and vise versa. The behavior you saw is natural and expected to have the range change in inverse
proportion to the FAT (See What is "Attenuation"?)
It was observed that during the testing, we are losing 30 to 35cm of pile length, could you please explain.
This is the transceiver length. Testing starts when the BOTTOM of the transducer touches the BOTTOM of the tube, but stops
when the TOP of the transducer reaches the TOP of the tube. If the tube is only 31cm long - the transducer can only move 1cm inside it.
This is OK and is inherent to this test method.
We could see that in some cases, the Attenuation curve is touching the FAT curve and in some cases the Attenuation curves
come first and then the FAT curve and Vice versa also. Has this got any implications?
No! FAT and attenuation have different units. The curves are plotted on the same area in order to save space and nothing
more. If I was to pick different axes values, the curves would touch at a different, arbitrary point.
Does pulling velocity have any effect on the test result?
Pulling speed has no effect on the results. The encoder constantly transmits the depth to the instrument, and a pulse is sent in
predetermined vertical spacings.
Our CHUM is not showing the exact spacing between the sonic tubes. (for eg. When we measure 0.64m in the site the CHUM
is showing 0.88m).we have tried this out in some 10 piles and still the error is existing.
In the leveling screen, the distance is only an estimated (this is why it has the ~ sign next to it) CHUM can only measure time,
not distance! The distance is calculated assuming a wave speed of 4400m/s. In your case, the wave speed might be lower - the concrete
might be too fresh or of lower grade/quality. Anyway - the distance value is presented in this screen in order to help you level the pulses, not
for reporting.
What are the criteria for FAT & Attenuation to judge pile integrity i.e. during our testing, some FAT will be 184µs and for other
pile it will go to 260µs. Also how FAT is related to concrete quality & what is the range of values of FAT &Attenuation for good & bad piles.
Please advise with examples.
FAT stands for First Arrival Time. Since the wave speed in cured concrete is about 4300m/s (+/- 10%), it will take the wave 1ms
to pass 4.3m, 500us to pass 2.15m and 250us to pass 1.075m etc. Since profiles are never at the exact same distance, it is expected that the
FAT will change. 184us is typical for a profile of 0.8m and 260us corresponds to 1.1m If your FAT is too high for the profile distance, the
concrete might not be cured or it is of low quality/grade. The received signal has a measurable energy. The energy drops exponentially as
the distance grows. It is expected for the energy to remain roughly constant in a homogeneous concrete. Attenuation is simply the energy in
decibels (dB) units, relative to the maximal energy that can be recorded. A change of 6dB means half the energy, 12dB is 1/4 the energy, etc.
(See What is "Attenuation"?)
A number of the traces show a very large drop in the relative energy, but little or no change in the FAT. I understand that it is
generally taken that the FAT gives the biggest indication of inclusions or defects, however, I note on your web site that a low relative energy
means a "weak" signal. When would I expect to get a weak signal, and could it represent an anomaly even if the FAT's are consistent?
Weaker signal with no change in FAT can be generated when the wave path becomes narrower, for example, in the case of a
necking.
As seen in this image, the shortest path between source and receiver is not disturbed; therefore the FAT shows no indication of the defect.
However, the total amount of energy reaching the receiver is significantly reduced. This is just one way of explaining this phenomenon. I am
not aware of any research done to quantify it or find additional explanations. There is no way to assess the size and severity of the defect (if
it is indeed a defect) from this trace, but you quite confidently assess that if the energy dropped significantly (say by 18 db or more in the
attenuation curve) you are not crying wolf.
In general the traces are quite smooth (about a vertical line), but every now and then the line is very jagged, although still about
a vertical line. Does this sound like a problem?
Concrete is not a homogeneous material and some variations of the FAT and attenuation are to be expected even in the most
controlled environment. Unless you can see a significant change in FAT or energy (And I cannot quantify this change) you are safe.
How can we estimate the distorted area of the pile, from FAT & Attenuation?
There is no standard, and you have to apply solid judgment for changes in FAT or attenuation. I recommend that you will send
the files to us. We will be glad to assist you with the interpretation until you feel confident enough.
Which is the easiest method of evaluating a pile, like FAT vs. Attenuation or FAT vs. Energy. Explain.
Those are equivalent. Originally CHUM only showed Energy (without units). We introduced Attenuation in a later version, but
kept the energy option for backward compatibility with those users who already got used to present and submit energy curves in their
reports.
In our Equipment, for the PRESENTATION of results, we are allowed to choose from FAT, Attenuation, Relative Energy &
Apparent Velocity. BUT, when we choose the Apparent Velocity option, We are able to see a green legend for Apparent Velocity in the
bottom of the graph & also the velocity written in m/s., BUT there is no representation of it in the graph.
CHUM can only measure arrival time, not signal velocity. In order to plot the velocity curve, you must enter the horizontal
spacing between the tubes. Once you enter this value, you will be able to see the velocity curve.
No. But you can do this in Windows - open the project folder, copy the file (right-click - copy. Right click on the folder - paste).
Now re-open the project and rename the pile. May I ask why you need this option for?
Appendix B - Checklists
Before going out to the site, check that:
You packed:
The instrument
The software is properly installed.
A good practice is to look for new CHUM versions at least once a month in Piletest.com user community download area
The instrument’s battery is fully charged.
A set of transducers (emitter and receiver)
Two pulleys, including at least one depth meter.
Depth cable
The relevant project documents
Optionally:
battery charger / lighter charger
A sounder
F Tip:
Hot weather: Drinking water, a hat.
Cold weather: Warm clothing. Coffee?
Appendix C - Troubleshooting
C.1.1 Symptom: No Signal, or no response from the CHUM
Troubleshooting
1. Connect your set of transceivers and place them in a bucket of water.
2. Connect the USB to the computer
3. Start CHUM software
4. ?: The green LED on the CHUM panel is OFF
· Possible diagnostics: Low or exhausted battery
· Possible diagnostics: Damaged computer USB port
· Possible diagnostics: Damaged CHUM unit
5. Click the wrench icon
6. Make sure the USB CHUM data source is selected
7. Press [Test]
8. ?: The software brings up an I/O error message
· Possible diagnostics: Low or exhausted battery
· Possible diagnostics: More than one instance of CHUM is running
· Possible diagnostics: An additional CHUM/PET system is connected.
9. ?: A No error message, the scale at the oscilloscope window is low (39mv) and there is no distinctive signal
· Possible diagnostics: Damaged transceiver
10. If you have a transducer emulator, connect it
11. ?: The greed LED on the emulator is flashing
· Possible diagnostics: Damaged transceiver
12. ? : CHUM works well outside, but not when testing a real pile
· Possible diagnostics: no water in the access tubes
· Possible diagnostics: Defective pile/soft bottom
· Try to connect other peripherals, such as a mouse or a disk-on-a-key to the port, and verify that it works well
Because of these short wave lengths, the one-dimensional theory, on which we based the sonic method, is no more applicable. Thus, we
have to look into the theory describing the behavior of waves in space.
E.2. Three-dimensional wave propagation
In prismatic rods, we meet only one type of wave - the one-dimensional longitudinal wave which can be either compressive or tensile.
Body waves moving in a three-dimensional elastic space, however, may be of two distinct types: Dilatational (P-Waves) and distortional
(S-Waves).
When the displacements associated with the wave occur on the axis of wave propagation (as in the rod), the waves are called longitudinal or
P-Waves. The particles in this case may move either in the same direction (compressive wave) or in the opposite direction (tensile wave).
P-Waves are accompanied by volume expansion or decrease.
When the wave causes particles to move perpendicular to its direction of motion, the waves are known as S-Waves or shear waves. The
character of S-Waves is further determined by the direction of displacement: When particle displacements are horizontal, the waves are
called SH-Waves. SV-Waves, on the other hand, are characterized by vertical motion. A general S-Wave may be decomposed into its SV
and SH components.
As mentioned before, waves radiate from the point of application of any dynamic load. As the distance from this point increases, the waves
may be assumed to travel as a plane front. All material particles then move in this plane (S-Waves) or perpendicular to it (P-Waves). This
assumption leads to substantial simplification in the mathematical treatment: If we denote the particle displacement by y, then the propagation
of plane waves is governed by the following differential equation:
Equation 1
in which for S- (or distortional) Waves and for P- (or dilatational) Waves. c, as usual, is the
wave propagation velocity. For Poisson’s ratio n=0.25, the velocity ratio cP/cS is equal to Ö3, which means that P-Waves propagate much
faster than S-Waves. For good-quality concrete, cS=2,580 m/sec and cP = 4,470 m/sec. In comparison, c for a rod of the same material is
equal to 4,080 m/sec.
To visualize the behavior of plane wave, we often prefer to trace a single normal to the wave front, and follow its’ path. As an analogy to
optics, the trajectory of such a normal is termed a ray path.
E.3. Attenuation
When a wave front moves away from the emitter, it becomes larger with distance. If we assume that no energy is lost during the process, the
energy per unit area of the front (or per ray) declines with distance. The rate of decrease depends on the shape of the front. If the front is
spherical, the wave energy per unit area will change as the inverse of the square of the distance from the source:
Equation 2
Where:
E1 and E2 denote the respective wave energies at points 1 and 2, respectively, while r1 and r2 are the respective distances from the source
of points 1 and 2. Since the energy E is proportional to the square of the amplitude A, Equation 25 can be re-written as:
Equation 3
Equation 3 describes what we define as geometric attenuation, which occurs in all types of media and is the only source of energy loss in
perfectly elastic materials. In real materials, which also exhibit viscous and frictional behavior, part of the mechanical energy of the waves is
constantly converted into heat. This phenomenon, defined as material loss or intrinsic attenuation, is represented by the following equation
(Santamarina et al. 2002):
Equation 4
in which k is a medium-dependent constant and f is the wave frequency. Equation 4 shows clearly that material attenuation causes the wave
amplitude to decrease with increasing distance from the source, at a rate that is dependent on the frequency. Higher frequency waves
attenuate much faster than those with lower frequencies and therefore have a smaller range.
Since wave amplitudes may vary over a few orders of magnitude, it is convenient to express amplitude ratios on the decibel scale, defined as
dB = 20·log(A2/A1). Since 20·log(0.5) ~ 6, every 6 dB represent an amplitude ratio of 2.
Figure 1 is an example obtained by passing ultrasonic waves in a concrete pile while varying the distance between the emitter and the
receiver. The exponential character of the attenuation is immediately apparent.