Sensor technology against flood damage

Rogaland County Council is getting the first smart Vossat curtain that monitors itself - an exciting pilot project, says engineer Solveig Margrethe Myge at the county council.

The first smart Vossatrau is on its way to Sauda. It comes with Cautus Geos integrated sensors and data loggers specially developed for the Nordic climate with the Cautus Web access and notification solution. It provides continuous, real-time information about the condition of the watercourse. The aim is to avoid large amounts of water going astray.

- In Sauda, we have a critical stream intake with a high risk of water going astray. Now we're gaining experience with smart technology. We're also using sensors in other areas to gain more knowledge," says Solveig Margrethe Myge in Operations and Maintenance.

20 years of history

The Vossatrauet saw the light of day 20 years ago. It's a prefabricated stream intake with double grids, developed at Voss. The development took place in close co-operation with NVE. Major challenges with clogged culverts and a lot of water going astray are the backdrop.

The specially developed stream inlet can now be mass-produced in two different dimensions. All are equipped with a solution that collects branches, sand, stones and soil in a separate container. This makes maintenance easier and cheaper, but the risk of stormwater has been the same as for other solutions.

Until this autumn. Now Cautus Geo has used its expertise in IoT. As a result, the solution has become smart. It monitors itself, is connected to the internet and notifies clients of the condition and need for inspection and emptying of the collector solution before the intake becomes blocked.

Easy maintenance

If the alarm goes off for inspection, the container that collects leaves, twigs, sand, gravel and stones that are fed with water can be easily cleaned.

- It can be hoisted up, emptied and put back with a few simple steps. This has been the solution for 20 years. Now it has also become smart. This means that stream inlets and culverts are continuously monitored and alert themselves when there is a need for cleaning," says Rune Skjoldal of concrete manufacturer Tunge Ting in Voss. They are the ones who produce the troughs.

Ivar Seim is behind the Vossatrau. The long-standing operations engineer at Voss Municipality, Cowi and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration is the brains behind the system.

- "It was important to develop a solution for fast, efficient and affordable maintenance of stream inlets and culverts. This allows clogged waterways to be quickly reopened without the use of heavy machinery and time-consuming labour," says Seim.

The Vossatrau can be hoisted into place at any stream. It is manufactured with integrated sensors and data loggers.

Businesses exposed to flooding

All development and refinement of the solution originates from local companies in Voss. Cautus Geo has a local branch there.

- That's what it's like to live in a flood-prone area. It provides shared experiences," says Lars Krangnes, Development Manager at Cautus Geo.

In Voss, the risk of flooding is real. The last flood came in the autumn. It caused tens of millions of kroner worth of damage.

- The flood showed the need for more knowledge. Sensors can provide that. They can tell us what's happening in streams and show how much water is on its way," says Krangnes.

Cautus Geo has also developed similar solutions for the City of Oslo. There, several stream inlets are equipped with sensors that provide continuous monitoring of the condition with automatic notification before floodwater goes astray.

Being trialled in Sauda

The first smart Vossatrau is on its way to Sauda.

- Climate change means more extreme weather. Part of the answer may be the use of technology," says Myge.

Oslo is thinking along the same lines. Cautus Geo is installing sensors and its proprietary CL3 data logger in several flood-prone locations.

Pressure cells are among the most robust.

- They are specially adapted to the Norwegian climate with frost and ice formation. At the same time, the measurement quality must be maintained," says Sigmund Brekke Langelid, Head of Field Operations at Cautus Geo.

The CL3 data logger is developed by Cautus Geo.

- It's compact with the very latest in communication technology. It packs data well and has a battery capacity of well over ten years. It provides a robust solution," says Brekke Langelid.

The instrumentation that makes Vossatrauet smart

• CL3 data logger (Cautus Geo's proprietary logger).
• Pressure cells, mounted in creek grates.
• Cautus Web - web portal with alarm setup for automatic notification in real time.