PANDOSCOPE Implementation Partner Training – STATS and 4DG – Rail Applications
Insitu Test recently completed PANDOSCOPE® training for our WA Implementation Partners, STATS Australia and 4DGeotechnics.
The PANDOSCOPE® is a coupling of the PANDA® Instrumented Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) (tip resistance vs depth profile) and Geoendoscopy (down the hole imagery).
For rail applications, the PANDOSCOPE® is used as a non-destructive rail track ballast and formation condition assessment method when planning track maintenance and renewal. The PANDOSCOPE® measures geotechnical aspects of the track bed and can provide the following outcomes:
- Layer characterisation for ballast and formation (identification, thickness, water content (qualitative), estimation of the soil grain size distribution and ballast condition (ballast fouling) assessment)
- Mechanical information: cone resistance (direct measurement) or CBR or other parameters with correlations
The PANDOSCOPE® data helps asset owners optimise the track maintenance and track renewal strategy. Sometimes, PANDOSCOPE® testing is combined with network Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data to provide more information in problem areas. The PANDOSCOPE® also provides engineering services with reliable geotechnical data for track design purposes. The knowledge of mechanical and physical properties of existing formation (subgrade and sub ballast layers) is very important for the future track design. The PANDOSCOPE® overcomes the limitations of the majority of classical geotechnical tests (drilling rigs, pot holing).
To facilitate the training, we flew in Younes Haddani, the Head of Innovation Projects & International at Sol Solution. For more than 15 years, Younes ran the Sol Solution PANDOSCOPE Implementation team with experience from PANDOSCOPE studies in France (SNCF), Belgium, USA, Canada, Singapore and Australia.
STATS Australia is a specialist in testing and technical services, providing specific tailored and economical engineering solutions to various engineering problems that support their clients designs and construction tasks.
4DGeotechnics are consultants in engineering geology, geomorphology and geotechnical engineering. Specialising in locating, describing, measuring and understanding geo materials and masses, current ground surface morphology and the processes that have acted or are currently acting upon a site to affect its historic and present form.
If you would like to know more on the PANDOSCOPE® please visit our website: https://www.insitutek.com/ballast-formation-condition-assessment/pandoscope-overview/
I have known the team at Insitutek for over ten years. Their professionalism, positivity and enthusiasm for their work is outstanding and I am pleased to recommend them.
After scouring the market, we settled on the PANDA DCP test equipment as it offered the technical capability and, moreover, the flexibility required to work in the restricted environment our project presented; overhead clearance typically at 1500mm but as low as 1200mm. We had a unique problem that required a unique solution and that’s precisely what we found through the team at Insitutek and the PANDA equipment. The ease of assembly, intuitive operability and compact nature of the equipment, made light of the numerous soundings we required across a widely dispersed area.
I would hate to go back to doing the Plate Load Test using the old method using dial gauges. It would be so time consuming, not to mention manually recording and then processing all the results.
Insitutek Blogs
A bridge approach transition zone is the area where a road or railway track transitions from the rigid structure of a bridge to the flexible embankment or road pavement, aiming to minimize abrupt changes in stiffness and potential issues like differential settlement.
The 5th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics (ICTG), held in Sydney, marked a milestone in the geotechnical and transportation engineering community. Organized by the UTS Transport Research Centre (UTS-TRC), this prestigious event brought together over 450 delegates from 30 countries, making it a truly global gathering for experts in the field.
The ANCOLD 2024 Conference, held in Adelaide, brought together industry professionals in dam engineering, safety, and sustainability. With 624 delegates in attendance, the event provided a collaborative platform for experts to exchange knowledge on the latest developments in dam infrastructure, safety protocols, and environmental considerations. Key discussions focused on advancing dam engineering practices in response to climate change, improving risk-informed decision-making, and exploring new innovations in dam safety.