Tectonic & Stability Studies

In the early 1980's the design of Borehole Strain Meters was refined for tectonic studies to completely cover a massive observation gap in the frequency domain between seismological measurements of earth deformation response and the large scale electronic distance measuring instruments (now replaced by differential GPS systems). The system overlaps both the GPS and seismic bands by a couple of orders of magnitude. This technology due to its high sensitivity & wide dynamic range, today provides the basis of Advanced Tectonic Studies in the US, Taiwan, Australia and other parts of the world. These areas of science may very well provide the foundation of earthquake forecasting.

How can Ultra Technologies help?

Ultra Technologies has introduced in India Borehole Strain Instrumentation for use in earthquake and Civil Engineering studies. Ultra Technologies is the sole provider of Tectonic Strain Instrumentation in India and similar Strain Meters have also been installed for the US Plate Boundary Observatory, a major researchinitiative of the National Science Foundation to provide monitoring of the West Coast of the US.

These strain monitoring systems are installed at typical depths of 200m in specially prepared boreholes. The systems have high sensitivity (0.1 nanostrain) and extreme stability. They allow detailed monitoring of earth strain at sensitivities about a thousand times greater than differential GPS, and measure from 10 Hz to DC. The design lifetime is 20 years allowing dynamic measurement of long term engineering structures. They are particularly suitable for monitoring of cyclic loading, stability and ageing of bedrock and abutments for reservoirs, major infrastructures and in mining. These systems after 30 years of research development are now being manufactured for commercial supply, design, deployment and analysis. All these services are available through Ultra Technologies.