Building monitoring solution diagram.
The British company BOX Telematics specializes in the creation of automated systems and has extensive experience in developing wireless solutions for the M2M (Machine-to-Machine), mobile telematics and telemetry markets.
Today, BOX Telematics is recognized as one of the leading British suppliers in this area.
The need to monitor building subsidence gave the company's specialists the opportunity to once again apply their experience to create automated control systems.
Building subsidence occurs due to soil instability.
And the reasons can be many factors: high clay content in soil, leaking sewer pipes, soil shifts.
Even overgrown tree roots can cause building subsidence.
It is especially dangerous when it occurs unevenly, as cracks appear in the building (mainly around door and window openings). Annual losses due to building subsidence reach millions of dollars.
In order to detect these undesirable phenomena in a timely manner, take the necessary measures and avoid serious damage, it is necessary to regularly call in expensive specialists to carry out measurements, which are time-consuming and expensive. However, such inspections are possible no more than once a week, and this is not enough to notice dangerous changes in time. An automated building monitoring system could be a solution to the problem.
Project Requirements
To create a working automated building settlement monitoring system certified for use in the UK and Europe as a whole, it is necessary that:
— tilt sensors form a self-organizing, self-healing ZigBee network;
— data is received via a GPRS gateway;
– the wireless sensor network (WSN) met strict energy saving requirements (maximum annual consumption of 2500 mA/h per node with a test mode of no more than 30 minutes per year);
– the battery compartment was accessible so that a technician could easily replace the batteries without affecting other components of the system;
– the battery life exceeded 12 months;
– AA batteries, 1.5 V with a capacity of at least 3000 mAh were used;
– the network included more than 50 nodes.
The BOX Telematics system must receive information every day, store it in a database and deliver it to the Box Gateway. To do this, sensor readings must be collected at certain intervals and transmitted using SlaveBOX nodes using the ZigBee standard.
MeshBean board and tilt sensor
Project implementation
To solve this problem, BOX Telematics and MeshNetics, a WSN developer and ZigBee/802.15.4 specialist, have jointly created a wireless sensor system for remote monitoring of buildings.
Specially configured wireless MeshBean boards (MeshNetics) with eZeeNet system software (MeshNetics) installed on them were used as a platform.
The MeshBean boards were single-sided for easy mounting in a protective case, which was IP65 with easy access to the battery compartment. The case had reliable mounting brackets, ensuring its immobility during operation. An RS232 interface was used for tilt sensors, which communicated with the sensor during node activation. The same interface was used for communication with the BOX gateway.
BOX Gateway gateway + coordinator node
To successfully implement this project, it was necessary to create an inexpensive, effective BSN that would provide a constant flow of critical information about the condition of the building.
Wireless nodes with measuring sensors were placed inside the building and along its perimeter. They formed a self-configuring network thanks to the eZeeNet system software embedded in them, which supports the ZigBee standard. Sensor data was transmitted to the coordinator node and then through the GPRS gateway to the company's server. The data was recorded in the database, after which the corresponding reports were generated. The entire process was fully automated. A convenient Internet portal was also created, providing round-the-clock access to data.
Example of a report received via the Internet portal
This solution made it possible to receive data almost continuously and provide an accurate assessment of the building's condition. The automated solution also made it possible to eliminate significant labor costs.
The result of the project is speed of collection, accuracy of data, safety, savings. As a result of successful cooperation between the two companies and successful reconfiguration of existing boards, a working solution was created in less than four months.
The developed system allowed collecting data almost continuously, making it possible to obtain accurate and timely information about the condition of the building and, if necessary, take preventive measures. In addition, and this is important, the system provided a tangible economic benefit — there was no need for engineers to go to the site and collect data manually. The wireless solution allowed significant savings on wiring in the building, because the cost of such wiring can reach $ 300 per meter!
Example of the location of sensors in the building
«Wireless M2M technology is the future of remote measurements,» says Charles Joel, project leader from BOX telematics. «By developing the latest M2M platforms and BOX Gateway gateway solutions with internet access, continuing research into wireless connections and collaborating with BSS specialist MeshNetics, BOX telematics remains at the forefront of technological progress. Remote measurements of building parameters transmitted via the BOX gateway are very important information and allow for quick and accurate decisions to be made without the need to go to the site.»