Feb 7, 2017
Measurand and SIXENSE went onsite to the Princess Grace Hospital in the principality of Monaco to test our newest monitoring instrument model, the SAAV. At the end of January, Measurand’s Geotechnical Specialist Christiane Levesque, and Marketing Manager Erika May, assisted SIXENSE install a new model of ShapeArray—SAAV—to monitor deformation behaviour during construction of the Princess Grace Hospital’s expansion.
The Princess Grace Hospital, founded in 1902, is built into a sheer cliff slide overlooking the French Riviera. The hospital expansion is a massive construction project that will occur in four distinct phases over the next several years. Construction on a new multi-level parking structure with a capacity of 534 spaces—the first phase of the project—is underway. Hospital services will operate normally throughout construction.
Initially, inclinometers were used to measure movement at the site during demolition of an existing structure. Given the site’s close proximity to other buildings and the potential risk to the public, engineers needed to make sure movement was closely monitored. SIXENSE had previously used ShapeArray during the Crossrail project in the United Kingdom because of the instrument’s ability to provide engineers with real-time data.
This project was a perfect setting to test the new SAAV model ShapeArray. SAAV’s unique cyclical method of installation allows the instrument to be fit into standard inclinometer casings rather than the 27 mm PVC conduit required for SAAF model installations.
As every phase builds on top of the last, the shifting loads will continue to require monitoring. The test SAAV will remain part of SIXENSE’s ongoing monitoring plan as construction continues.
