Examples Of Uses Of Inclinometers In Construction

By Author: Thelma Micco
Total Articles: 7
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If you’ve ever seen a big construction vehicle tip over, you know the dangers involved in this type of accident. An instrument known as an inclinometer can help to prevent these disasters at construction sites.

In areas where construction is going on, the roads – if you can even call some of them that – are often sharply angled, and getting big trucks up and down them safely can be a challenge. Drivers, assuming they’re experienced, are able to determine a certain amount about the pitch of a road by visual inspection. But they need a more precise way to tell when danger is ahead.

When a truck rolls off a road or rutted path, the result can be potentially devastating. The safety of the driver and bystanders can be placed in jeopardy. Whatever the truck lands on will likely be destroyed – and this can include other expensive equipment. If the vehicle is carrying a load, it could be spilled or damaged. The truck itself could suffer damage. All these catastrophes are why many construction vehicles are equipped with inclinometers.

These instruments determine ...
... the inclination and slope angles of an object in relation to its gravity. They do this by giving the driver an artificial horizon. It’s similar in concept to the way a level with a little bubble in water is used when building a house to make sure nothing is off balance.

Inclinometers are called by various names including gradient meters, level meters, slope meters, tilt indicators, gradiometers and others. It’s easy to see how these tilt monitoring devices can be beneficial in many industries other than just construction. The instruments are used by government and in civil engineering, aviation, boating and numerous transportation sectors.

Specifically in construction, they can be found on excavators and graders, aerial ladder rigs, cranes, boom trucks, dump trucks, aerial lift trucks and many other types of vehicles.

The primary function of these sturdy, compact devices is the indication of boom angle, measuring the angle of slopes and platform leveling. There are several different model types and styles, but common features and applications include:

Color warning zones
Custom tube sizes
Precision glass tubes
Early warning prior to a rollover
Showing of grade percent
Indication of upcoming slope

The sensors on electronic inclinometers are gravity based. The units are free of moving parts so nothing gets broken. They’re designed to withstand rugged conditions and still perform accurately.

In summary, inclinometers are valuable instruments that will alert drivers of construction machinery and other vehicles to the changing grade of the roads they must navigate. They provide a warning prior to a rollover, saving not only money that would have to be spent on repair or replacement, but they can also save the lives of the driver and bystanders.

Thelma Micco is a freelance writer interested in Rieker Inc.,a leading manufacturer of state of art mechanical and electronic accelerometer & inclinometers that are used in a wide variety of industries.Learn more about slope indicator by visiting RiekerInc.com.