Vibrating Wire Piezometers
Tenke Fungurume Mine Project DRC Terra Monitoring (Pty) Ltd. was appointed by Golder Associates Africa (Pty) Ltd. to install eight Vibrating Wire Piezometers VWP in the North Embankment, North Saddle Embankment and Spillway Embankment of the TSF tailing dam.
Vibrating wire piezometer (VWP) converts water pressure to frequency signal via a diaphragm, a tensioned steel wire, and an electromagnetic coil.
The piezometer is designed so that a change in pressure on the diaphragm causes a change in tension of the wire. An electro-magnetic coil is used to excite the wire, which then vibrates at its natural frequency.
Vibration of the wire in the proximity of the coil generates a frequency signal that is transmitted to the readout device.
The readout or data logger stores the readings in Hz. (Hertz). The calibration factors that are supplied for each instrument are then applied to the readings to arrive at a pressure in engineering units.
Installed at depths between 15m (North Saddle Embankment Crest) and 49m at the North Embankment Crest.