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Extensometer: Types, How It Works, Applications: What Is An Extensometer?

Extensometers are instruments used to measure the change in length of an object under stress. There are several types, including magnetic, electrical, mechanical, and soil extensometers. Magnetic extensometers measure ground movement using magnetic targets in an access tube. Electrical extensometers use a vibrating wire transducer to measure displacement between anchors and connecting rods. Mechanical extensometers measure the extension between anchors and a reference plate in a borehole. Soil extensometers also use vibrating wire sensors to monitor horizontal soil movement between anchors. Extensometers have various applications in geotechnical engineering to monitor slope stability, dam and foundation settlement, and tunnel deformation.

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218 views

Extensometer: Types, How It Works, Applications: What Is An Extensometer?

Extensometers are instruments used to measure the change in length of an object under stress. There are several types, including magnetic, electrical, mechanical, and soil extensometers. Magnetic extensometers measure ground movement using magnetic targets in an access tube. Electrical extensometers use a vibrating wire transducer to measure displacement between anchors and connecting rods. Mechanical extensometers measure the extension between anchors and a reference plate in a borehole. Soil extensometers also use vibrating wire sensors to monitor horizontal soil movement between anchors. Extensometers have various applications in geotechnical engineering to monitor slope stability, dam and foundation settlement, and tunnel deformation.

Uploaded by

saranya saiganesh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Extensometer: Types, How It Works, Applications

Geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring is a vast field that includes several monitoring
instruments such as piezometers, tiltmeters, strain gauges, beam sensors, extensometers
etc. Extensometers or extension-meters are extensively used to measure the change in the
length of an object. They are designed for strain measurements or to carry out tensile tests.
Since extensometers are one of the most significant monitoring instruments, let us give you
a better insight into its working principle, construction, specifications, and application areas.

What Is An Extensometer?
An extensometer is a high precision instrument specially designed for geologists or civil
engineers to measure the elongation of a material under stress. This instrument is perfect
for tensile tests. It can also determine yield strength, tensile strength, yield point elongation,
strain-hardening exponent, and strain ratio. Besides this, extension-meters have a huge
scope of work in the geotechnical field. They are available in various types and sizes
depending upon the application area.

How does an extensometer work?


Usually, the extensometers are classified as contact, non-contact, laser, and video
extensometers. However, the working principle of extension-meters depends on its type as
well as the application area. Encardio-Rite deals with a wide range of extensometers,
including magnetic, electrical, mechanical, and soil extensometers. All of these extension-
meters have different working principle.

Magnetic Extensometer
The magnetic extensometer system is designed to measure settlement or heave of the soft
ground under the influence of loading or unloading due to the construction of embankments,
fills, buildings, and structures. Lateral movement at any level within a soil mass may be
assessed by monitoring the location of magnetic targets positioned over a near-horizontal
access tube. The lateral ground movement may be in abutments, foundations or
embankments, and a consolidation-induced settlement in embankments and foundations .

Electrical Extensometer
The electrical borehole extensometer incorporates a vibrating wire transducer for
measurement of displacement. A groutable reinforced bar anchor (1) is attached to
fibreglass (2.a) or AISI 410 stainless steel (2.b) connecting rods of appropriate length, as
specified in the design. Fibre glass connecting rods are supplied from the factory in single
lengths. The connecting rods are enclosed inside heavy-duty protective tubing to allow for
free movement. The displacement sensor is coupled to the connecting rod using link plate
and lock nut.

Mechanical Extensometer
The borehole extensometer measures the extension (displacement) which takes place with
time in a borehole or several boring holes in a rock mass. It essentially consists of one or
more anchors and a reference plate. The anchor or anchors are set in the same borehole or
different boreholes drilled adjacent to the first borehole. They help to accurately measure
the distance between the various anchors with respect to the reference plate and monitor
their relative displacement with time. It is usually assumed that the deepest anchor is in the
stable ground and so any change in the anchor spacing gives information about the
settlement of foundation taking place.
Soil Extensometer
The soil extensometer uses a vibrating wire sensor for monitoring displacement. The
system consists of a sensor assembly with flanges that are mounted with adaptors,
adjustment unit, sockets and extension rods between two anchors to monitor the horizontal
movement of surrounding soil. The system is enclosed in telescopic PVC tubing with proper
‘O’ ring seals to eliminate friction between the rods and surrounding soil and to prevent any
ingress of water.

The extensometer system is supplied with different gauge lengths (gauge length is the
distance between two anchors). Several extensometer units can be connected in series to
measure incremental displacements over large distances. Movement of relative position
between two anchor channels at the ends of the soil extensometer is representative of the
mass movement. The relative movement between the anchors causes a change in the
output of the vibrating wire sensor. This output can be measured by Encardio-rite model
EDI-51V portable read-out unit/datalogger or monitored by a remote model EDAS-10 data
acquisition system. The initial reading is taken as the datum. The difference between
subsequent readings and initial reading gives the magnitude of the movement.

Uses of extensometer in the geotechnical field


1. To determine how the roof or wall of mine, underground cavity or tunnel behaves
during excavation operation & to study the effectiveness of the support system.
2. To predict potential roof or wall fall before it occurs. Roof or wall fall in an
underground cavity is almost invariably preceded by measurable sag as the strata
open up, and the movement usually occurs at an increasing rate as fall conditions
are approached. Unsuspected roof and wall fall conditions are approached that may
result in serious accidents.
3. To measure and monitor the movement in a slope or foundation due to the
excavation of underground cavities or due to the construction of a heavy structure
like concrete, rock fill, masonry or earth dam over the foundation.
4. To measure the types and sizes depending upon the application area.
5. To measure horizontal and vertical movement in foundations and embankments.
6. To measure the movement of natural and cut slopes, quarry and mining excavations.
7. To calculate the displacement of retaining walls, piers & abutments.
8. To measure the displacement around tunnels & underground cavities.
9. They are used for highly accurate measurements of relative deformations of multiple
segments along the entire pile length. To be specific, extensometers are used for the
measurement of the variation of the distance between the pile head and a specific
level of the testing pile.

Figure 1: Typical installation of MPBX

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