In geotechnical monitoring, understanding pore water pressure is essential. These pressures directly influence the shear strength of the soil and play a crucial role in the stability of construction pits, embankments, dikes and foundations. MEET HET places pore water pressure gauges – also known as piezometers – in the subsurface to accurately monitor these internal stresses, both temporarily and long-term.

Installation methods: borehole or push-in
Depending on the project objective and site accessibility, we offer two proven installation methods:

• Borehole rig:
  The classic method in which a piezometer is placed at a specific depth in a drilled hole. The borehole is accurately finished with filter sand (around the sensor) and bentonite (sealing between measurement levels). This prevents unwanted influence from other ground layers.
• Push-in installation:
  This method involves pushing the sensor directly into the soil using rods or probing equipment.
  Proper push-in installation requires experience and care. Improper placement can lead to deformation of the sensor, damage to the cables or inaccurate measurement results. MEET HET has the right equipment and technical know-how to perform this in a controlled and damage-free manner – a crucial prerequisite for reliable data collection.

Once placed, these sensors record the pore water pressure at a specific depth level and automatically transmit that information to a linked data logger.

The data are transmitted continuously and in real-time to our online monitoring platform, where they are clearly displayed for each project. Through interactive dashboards, graphs and exports, all parties involved can monitor the situation live. Moreover, we can set alarm thresholds: if exceeded, notifications are automatically sent via text message, e-mail or a site alarm.

This fully automated operation ensures reliable and accurate monitoring of internal soil stresses, crucial for timely decision-making and prevention of failure mechanisms such as erosion, piping or instability.

Typical applications

• Pumping monitoring in deep construction pits
• Stability control at levees and embankments
• Monitoring of consolidation processes during embankment or pre-loading
• Risk assessment for uplift of floor slabs or foundations
• Support for geohydrologic modeling and groundwater management.