ExCeL Remote Monitoring

We have recently been to ExCeL structural monitoring at the site for an expansion project. The project will deliver an additional 25,000 square metres of premium event and exhibition space, as well as state-of-the-art meeting rooms and catering facilities. 

Construction of the new building began in March 2022 and we were delighted to be awarded the contract to provide structural monitoring services to ensure there was no movement in the foundations during the excavation and concrete filling process. 

Delivering Results with Remote Monitoring  

Gallagher Group’s proposed construction process involved excavating the foundations a section at a time. Thick steel braces were to be installed onto the sides of the trenches to stabilise them before pouring the concrete in. Our job was to monitor the braces for movement prior to the concrete foundations being laid. 

Having understood the project specification we realised that it would be unsafe to send an operative in to physically measure and monitor the trenches. Deploying this traditional approach would also require regular site visits. To negate the need for this we proposed a remote monitoring solution. This involves attaching sensors to the braces. The sensors measure movement 24/7 and send live data to an online dashboard. This provides the project team with access to continuous live data feeds and if any movement thresholds are breached, the system sends an alert via SMS so that the breach can be investigated and remedied immediately. 

Due to the sheer thickness of the steel, the sensors are attached to the braces using magnets. The magnets not only allow for easy installation, they also enable us to test the sensors and adjust them where necessary. At one point in the project, when there were four sections being excavated at once, we had 80 sensors installed. 

Throughout the monitoring project, which commenced in February 2023, we have worked extremely closely with the construction team. We have often had to react very quickly and install and remove sensors at short notice so as not to hold up construction. Our remote monitoring solution has provided a Gallagher’s project team with the assurance that the foundations being excavated were constantly being measured and monitored and the confidence that should a movement threshold be breached, they would be immediately alerted. 

The Importance of Structural Monitoring Explained 

Watch David Mainwaring explain the importance of structural monitoring during the extension project at the ExCel London, as a guest speaker on the Move Solutions webinar: Maximise your construction site safety.