Construction Dewatering | Water Level Control
Construction dewatering, water level control & groundwater lowering with intelligent pump control from Sourcetronic. Respond flexibly to changing water levels and monitor those levels remotely.
- Dewatering with intelligent pump control from Sourcetronic
- Problem area groundwater
- Groundwater level control with pumps
- Groundwater lowering and groundwater control with Sourcetronic
- Control technology for groundwater lowering: a look at the details
- Possible constructional realization
Dewatering with intelligent pump control from Sourcetronic
Construction work, environmental protection, mining: Lowering the groundwater level is necessary in many situations. This is usually done with the help of wells. Sourcetronic supplies the electrical technology for pump control, which allows users to react flexibly to changing water levels and monitor the level remotely.
Problem area groundwater
Groundwater is available in almost every place in Europe – for example, it secures the drinking water supply for millions of people. But it can also become a problem, for example when it floods an excavation pit. Less visible, but no less problematic, is the discharge of pollutants into the environment with the groundwater flow. In addition, there are many other situations in which water intrusion is critical. In all cases, it is necessary to lower the level and control the flow of water. The technical term for this is groundwater maintenance. In addition to pumping and well technology, this requires flexible control and monitoring. Sourcetronic realizes both with modern technology for different application environments.
Controlling the groundwater level with pumps
The control of the level by means of wells is called closed dewatering. Depending on the structural and geological situation, several wells are distributed over the area for this purpose. The aim of the measure is to bring the level in the critical area below a defined drawdown target. To this end, an appropriate volume is extracted for groundwater maintenance and, if necessary, treated. The discharge then takes place spatially separated at another location.
Groundwater drawdown and dewatering with Sourcetronic
Three things are indispensable for efficient groundwater lowering or dewatering: high-performance well technology, monitoring and control. The latter fall into the core area of Sourcetronic GmbH, pumps and wells come from specialized partner companies. The various services and options for regulating the groundwater level are summarized below.
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Electrical engineering for pump control
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Sourcetronic offers the complete electrification for pumping stations. This includes the cabling as well as the equipment of the plant with an intelligent pump control. The latter uses frequency control to regulate the pumps’ current flow rate – this allows to react flexibly to more or less water pressure. This has two positive effects: First, the level can be controlled very precisely, and second, the efficiency of the system increases significantly, which in turn leads to cost benefits. To achieve this, the entire electrical design is planned and dimensioned in advance. During the construction phase, the electrical engineers and installers then take over integration into the plant and accompany the project through to commissioning.
By the way: Modern technology for pump control can be implemented not only in new construction. Existing plants can usually also be retrofitted with appropriate modules.
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Switchgear construction also in outdoor areas
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The electrical equipment includes the control cabinet. It contains important control technology and brings together power and data connections. In this respect, it is the central component and is completely assembled by Sourcetronic GmbH.
The installation is carried out by the technicians directly on site. The question arises as to where the technology is to be located. Decisive planning questions are: Where is the power outlet? How are the wells arranged? How far does the excavation pit extend?
The answers show: Especially in the field of groundwater control, an outdoor installation is often unavoidable. For this purpose, Sourcetronic manufactures robust and durable control cabinets that are also suitable for outdoor operation. One of several possibilities is, for example, integration in a prefabricated concrete building.
In addition, various options are available to increase (operational) safety. A redundant reliable 24V power supply, for example, ensures continuous operation. If no power connection is available, the integration of an independent power generator is recommended – this is easily possible.
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Remote access to the control technology
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A decisive advantage of Sourcetronic’s electrical engineering is the integrated pump control. This is operated directly at the control cabinet via touch displays. Our technicians take care of the setup as part of the commissioning process. The modules also allow much more convenient solutions such as remote access.
For this purpose, the entire plant is wired in such a way that the control system can be conveniently adjusted from a central location. If desired, values such as the setback target can be adjusted. The actual pump management is automated. As a rule, users only monitor the technology.
The choice of end devices for remote access is quite flexible. For example, the system can be controlled from a PC, tablet or mobile device. At the same time, this opens up numerous options for remote monitoring. For this purpose, various data and key figures are directly available to users.
Of course, various monitoring tasks can also be automated. For example, the system sends fault notifications by SMS, such as when a defined level is exceeded or underrun. The automatically recorded water levels are also stored and regularly sent by e-mail. In this way, plant operators are kept informed at all times and can also track the success of the measure.
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Water level monitoring with level probes
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Level probes are central to the control and operation of the groundwater control system. They monitor the level of groundwater in the excavation pit, at the sheet pile wall or in its other surroundings. As a result, they provide the data that are indispensable for automatic regulation. The type of level probes for the well is always adapted to the respective requirements. Floating switches are a simple example.
As a specialist in electrical engineering, Sourcetronic takes care of the entire integration of the sensor technology. Where and at which point data is collected is decided in advance. Especially in the field of groundwater drainage, variable boundary conditions must be taken into account – these include, for example, underground currents that interact with the performance of the pumps. By carefully selecting and integrating sensors, it is possible to precisely monitor and control the entire situation.
Web-based platform for users
Sourcetronic offers a web-based platform through which all data is available. Users can use it, for example, to monitor water levels and pump performance – centrally and remotely if desired. Online transmission also makes it possible to act quickly: pumps can be switched on or off quickly without the need for a technician to be on site. The platform is explained during commissioning and made available for groundwater management as required.
Control and regulation technology for groundwater lowering: a look at the details
As mentioned at the beginning, the requirements and wishes in the field of groundwater lowering and dewatering are quite individual and partly dynamic, depending on the situation. The control system is therefore assigned a central task.
In general, the goal of geotechnical engineering is to maintain the water level at a certain level. One possible problem is excessive inflow of water, for example as a result of an increase in groundwater. To compensate for this, pumps are sized so that they can operate at a higher capacity when needed. The result: the water level drops back to the desired level.
Conversely, it may be that a lower pumping capacity is sufficient to maintain the level. Throttling the pumping capacity protects the system and ensures lower operating costs. Both are realized via the pump control with frequency converter.
The fine sensor technology also makes it possible to control much more complex processes in the lowering of groundwater levels. A system of several wells and pumps, for example, is able to prevent underground flows. This is important, among other things, for the prevention of pollutant discharges.
Possible constructional realization
Sourcetronic cooperates with different specialized companies for well construction, so that various systems for groundwater lowering can be realized. Closed dewatering systems are suitable for a wide variety of situations and can also be combined with drainage systems or other structural measures.
The technology is also available for both permanent and temporary operation. The Sourcetronic specialists clarify the detailed requirements in each case in a personal discussion. This results in an individual concept for groundwater management that also takes into account the geological conditions.
Are you looking for a partner for maintaining or lowering the groundwater level? We will be happy to discuss your project in detail and present you with solutions for the complete electrification of the plant. On request, you will receive a complete solution from us and our partners.
