I was hoping somebody could share with me a sample report table for monitoring. I have 6 monitoring points to be levelled each year and I need to show relative changes from year to year on a table. Thanks. My email powersurveyireland@hotmail.com
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Mine have evolved over time, but basically I tailor them to the audience.?ÿ Ask your client what they consider to be significant movement and create a spreadsheet that clearly shows the presence or absence of that amount of movement.?ÿ ?ÿ
Recently, a client wanted to be alerted to any measurable subsidence and wanted to know if any monitoring points dropped half an inch total, as this was the threshold for more serious intervention.?ÿ I threw all my data into Excel with MPs in Column-A, the dates of level runs as headers.?ÿ I highlighted any cell value representing a measurable elevation change (thanks Kent, your posts convinced me to get Star*Net) from the last level run.?ÿ I also included a column showing the total change from day 1.?ÿ Again, I used Excel's highlighters to draw attention to MPs that were approaching the threshold.?ÿ Green=Good and Red=Bad.
After the first time I saw a contractor break out his calculator and convert decimal feet to fractions of an inch, I decided that I would try to present data in a language understood by the person paying for my services.?ÿ I keep my monitoring data in USsFT and include an elevation deltas column in fractions of an inch (I'll be the only one converting my data thank you very much).?ÿ
Even if NC did not require it, I would still stamp and sign any report being delivered to a client.?ÿ ?ÿI also include the date of the report, site location, company logo, information about my client, notes, and an accuracy statement.?ÿ?ÿ
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My monitoring reports are usually formatted as follows:
Section 1 - Cover letter that details the points set, how the baseline numbers were established,?ÿ any substantial changes in the current monitoring session, any changes of equipment dates, etc..?ÿ The whole report a word document, then all the data from the excel monitoring file are copied as as picture, then pasted into the word doc.?ÿ?ÿ
Section 2 - Copy of Monitoring Plan (map showing the site and the monitoring points for reference). Note - your project is vertical, but for horizontal monitoring the datum is (almost) always assumed and set up in a way that is in relationship to the structure being monitored.?ÿ The assumed x & y axis are shown on the plan.?ÿ No one cares if sheet piles are moving Northwesterly in state plane, they care how they are moving in relation to the excavation.?ÿ?ÿ
Section 3 - Tabular data
Section 4 - Graphical data. Usually in a excel scatterplot; NEVER using the excel generated trendlines (there is enough confirmation bias in the world, no need to introduce more). If there are established project thresholds, this is usually where I show them.?ÿ And there are almost always thresholds, you just have to know where to look/ask for them.
Seems like a lot of work, but you only have to set it up once.?ÿ If you're going to charge a client $3K - $7K+ to set up a monitoring program and $1,000+ a session; they should get a professional looking deliverable, not just a pdf of a single tab on a spread sheet?ÿ?ÿ
This is kind of what the data looks like (yes I know, the data in this example is crap, no need to point that out)?ÿ
Depending on the structures or type of action (directional drillings) you??re monitoring you may need to add in your reports the
- Temp
- Date + Time?ÿ
- water level (Tidal)
- sunny/cloudy/... weather
A word of experience. Make sure and do all the measurements twice for the first report. Two separate independent readings on the first day, or one on day one and go back the day after and get readings again. This way if the second year you come out and get different readings you have the first years readings with a check.?ÿ
Otherwise you may wish you had a time machine.?ÿ?ÿ
That's good advice. Depending on the required precision/movement tolerance of the project, we will do anywhere from several sets of observations over a day up to a full week's worth of independent observations to get our baseline values.
Comparing those values also helps to test and dial in your procedures. Sometimes it is necessary to add more observations, and sometimes you can cut down on them and save yourself some time.
Most 'planned' monitoring projects I've been involved with require a baseline of measurements before disruptive activities begin.
Likewise, I've modified the deltas column to be in fractions of an inch for contractor clients, easy with Excel.
