Essentials of vibrating wire load cell

Load cells are instruments that monitor and   measure the load in structural members of geotechnical projects. Load cells come in different types based on measurement technology and range.Vibrating wire load cellis one such instrument to measure force using a wire that vibrates at high frequency. The external force that is applied transforms the tension on the wire which results in frequency change.  It is a high strength steel cylinder with 3 to 6 transducers. The load cells are mainly used to measure loads in rock boats, cable anchors, tendons, and tunnel supports, pile testing, loading and pulling on trial anchors and in concrete dams among others. They are water resistant and provide long term stability even in high radiation environments.

Vibrating wire convergence meter is an instrument that detects any deformation of rock or soil masses in between two anchor points using a hook in the end of both the sides. It comes in three units that include the 2 anchor points, connecting rods of 6mm diameter and thirdly the spring tension vibrating wire transducer.  The unit comes sealed and operates at even pressure of 250psi. The spring expands when the connecting rod is pulled from the gage body. This increases the tension that is picked up by the vibrating wire. The convergence is accurately determined as the tension in wire is proportional to the extension. The meter can be operated horizontally, vertically and in inclined positions.