Browse Forums Paving & Concreting Re: How to monitor soil moisture to prevent slab heave? 3Nov 17, 2021 6:25 am 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: How to monitor soil moisture to prevent slab heave? 6Nov 17, 2021 11:00 am 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: How to monitor soil moisture to prevent slab heave? 15Dec 21, 2021 5:01 pm Thanks for answering those questions Rob It is an interesting concept. Do the sensors measure gravimetric, volumetric moisture or degree of saturation and I'm assuming you need to place a control sensor away from the issue as a comparison. Different soil types will have a different normal moisture ranges and the only real way to see if a soil is abnormally wet or dry is through soil suction measurements compared to the climate zone.In regards to slab heave you really need to know what the pre construction moisture/suction is as I have seen significant slab heave within the expected normal moisture range but the construction was done during a drought with extremely dry soil conditions.I can see some benefits in using the sensors as an alert system if it measures the normal range over several years and then detects moisture outside that range but a year like this La nina year may trigger the sensors or give a false normal range. I think the water contact trigger sensor would be the most reliable and very useful for insurance claims. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: How to monitor soil moisture to prevent slab heave? 16Dec 21, 2021 6:12 pm groundzero Thanks for answering those questions Rob It is an interesting concept. Do the sensors measure gravimetric, volumetric moisture or degree of saturation and I'm assuming you need to place a control sensor away from the issue as a comparison. Different soil types will have a different normal moisture ranges and the only real way to see if a soil is abnormally wet or dry is through soil suction measurements compared to the climate zone.In regards to slab heave you really need to know what the pre construction moisture/suction is as I have seen significant slab heave within the expected normal moisture range but the construction was done during a drought with extremely dry soil conditions.I can see some benefits in using the sensors as an alert system if it measures the normal range over several years and then detects moisture outside that range but a year like this La nina year may trigger the sensors or give a false normal range. I think the water contact trigger sensor would be the most reliable and very useful for insurance claims. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Yup you're spot on - we pair the sensors up as a minimum to give a 'control' and reference point away from the problem area and rather than saying X% reading is good or bad or abnormal (which would obviously require specific calculations for that exact soil type and other tests and data), we're simply looking for changes over time in comparison/conflict to the other sensors. To a point, the 'levels' of moisture under a slab/home really don't matter that much if it's been designed correctly AND changes are consistent across the property - ie the whole house can move up and down with movement of the clay if it's fairly even without significant issues. Damage occurs when it's not even, when one area is behaving significantly different to the rest. And thats exactly what we're looking for. So yes, we're not really interested in what 'normal' is or exactly how reactive the specific soil in that location may be, just whats happening at several points across an area over time and then why. We're not looking to replace advanced measurements and testing, we're looking to empower your average home owner (or trade) with an effective early warning system and/or initial diagnostic tools. The other key point of difference from lab and 'manned site visit' testing is that SLABsense offers active and ongoing monitoring rather than occasional measurements - We upload measurements every 3 hours, chart against local weather data and the sensors can be installed for several years. An ideal long term install for a build on highly reactive clay would be when the plumbing site works are done and slab is poured. It can then log right through the build and for several years immediately after but they're also great for shorter term diagnostics of issues presenting damage and also 'proof of repair' post remedial action. As you asked, the current sensors we're using use the FDR method to calculate soil moisture and compensate with soil temperature and electrical conductivity. They've been rock solid and consistent which is great. Happy to chat any time. Rob. Re: How to monitor soil moisture to prevent slab heave? 17Dec 21, 2021 6:13 pm SLABsense groundzero Thanks for answering those questions Rob It is an interesting concept. Do the sensors measure gravimetric, volumetric moisture or degree of saturation and I'm assuming you need to place a control sensor away from the issue as a comparison. Different soil types will have a different normal moisture ranges and the only real way to see if a soil is abnormally wet or dry is through soil suction measurements compared to the climate zone.In regards to slab heave you really need to know what the pre construction moisture/suction is as I have seen significant slab heave within the expected normal moisture range but the construction was done during a drought with extremely dry soil conditions.I can see some benefits in using the sensors as an alert system if it measures the normal range over several years and then detects moisture outside that range but a year like this La nina year may trigger the sensors or give a false normal range. I think the water contact trigger sensor would be the most reliable and very useful for insurance claims. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Yup you're spot on - we pair the sensors up as a minimum to give a 'control' and reference point away from the problem area and rather than saying X% reading is good or bad or abnormal (which would obviously require specific calculations for that exact soil type and other tests and data), we're simply looking for changes over time in comparison/conflict to the other sensors. To a point, the 'levels' of moisture under a slab/home really don't matter that much if it's been designed correctly AND changes are consistent across the property - ie the whole house can move up and down with movement of the clay if it's fairly even without significant issues. Damage occurs when it's not even, when one area is behaving significantly different to the rest. And thats exactly what we're looking for. So yes, we're not really interested in what 'normal' is or exactly how reactive the specific soil in that location may be, just whats happening at several points across an area over time and then why. We're not looking to replace advanced measurements and testing, we're looking to empower your average home owner (or trade) with an effective early warning system and/or initial diagnostic tools. The other key point of difference from lab and 'manned site visit' testing is that SLABsense offers active and ongoing monitoring rather than occasional measurements - We upload measurements every 3 hours, chart against local weather data and the sensors can be installed for several years. An ideal long term install for a build on highly reactive clay would be when the plumbing site works are done and slab is poured. It can then log right through the build and for several years immediately after but they're also great for shorter term diagnostics of issues presenting damage and also 'proof of repair' post remedial action. As you asked, the current sensors we're using use the FDR method to calculate soil moisture and compensate with soil temperature and electrical conductivity. They've been rock solid and consistent which is great. Happy to chat any time. Rob. Oh - and I hope that photo of the stump in a puddle isn't your home! Re: How to monitor soil moisture to prevent slab heave? 18Dec 21, 2021 6:17 pm SLABsense SLABsense groundzero Thanks for answering those questions Rob It is an interesting concept. Do the sensors measure gravimetric, volumetric moisture or degree of saturation and I'm assuming you need to place a control sensor away from the issue as a comparison. Different soil types will have a different normal moisture ranges and the only real way to see if a soil is abnormally wet or dry is through soil suction measurements compared to the climate zone.In regards to slab heave you really need to know what the pre construction moisture/suction is as I have seen significant slab heave within the expected normal moisture range but the construction was done during a drought with extremely dry soil conditions.I can see some benefits in using the sensors as an alert system if it measures the normal range over several years and then detects moisture outside that range but a year like this La nina year may trigger the sensors or give a false normal range. I think the water contact trigger sensor would be the most reliable and very useful for insurance claims. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Yup you're spot on - we pair the sensors up as a minimum to give a 'control' and reference point away from the problem area and rather than saying X% reading is good or bad or abnormal (which would obviously require specific calculations for that exact soil type and other tests and data), we're simply looking for changes over time in comparison/conflict to the other sensors. To a point, the 'levels' of moisture under a slab/home really don't matter that much if it's been designed correctly AND changes are consistent across the property - ie the whole house can move up and down with movement of the clay if it's fairly even without significant issues. Damage occurs when it's not even, when one area is behaving significantly different to the rest. And thats exactly what we're looking for. So yes, we're not really interested in what 'normal' is or exactly how reactive the specific soil in that location may be, just whats happening at several points across an area over time and then why. We're not looking to replace advanced measurements and testing, we're looking to empower your average home owner (or trade) with an effective early warning system and/or initial diagnostic tools. The other key point of difference from lab and 'manned site visit' testing is that SLABsense offers active and ongoing monitoring rather than occasional measurements - We upload measurements every 3 hours, chart against local weather data and the sensors can be installed for several years. An ideal long term install for a build on highly reactive clay would be when the plumbing site works are done and slab is poured. It can then log right through the build and for several years immediately after but they're also great for shorter term diagnostics of issues presenting damage and also 'proof of repair' post remedial action. As you asked, the current sensors we're using use the FDR method to calculate soil moisture and compensate with soil temperature and electrical conductivity. They've been rock solid and consistent which is great. Happy to chat any time. Rob. Oh - and I hope that photo of the stump in a puddle isn't your home! No lucky it's not mine it's an insurance claim probably end up around 150k to repair everything your underfloor sensor probably would have saved 149k of the claim. Hi team, Im looking for a second hand sd4b monitor preferably white. 0 8923 Recently I moved to a 30 year old house and found within few months there are small brown nests in the brick mortar and few small round holes in few places of brick… 0 22677 |