Publication - Advice and guidance
Proposed electricity generation developments: peat landslide hazard best practice guide
Second edition of guidance on best practice methods to identify, mitigate and manage peat slide hazards and associated risks.
Appendix C: Site Monitoring Instrumentation
Site monitoring and instrumentation
Various types of instrumentation can be considered for installation on site to allow monitoring of groundwater levels, overland flow (run-off) characteristics, slope movement at tension crack locations and rainfall. The following instruments may be installed:
Table C1 Site instrumentation recommendations
| Variable to be monitored | Instrumentation | Description and purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Groundwater | Standpipes | Installed to monitor groundwater level. Use of data loggers can be helpful in remote sites and also for detailed assessment of how groundwater levels respond to particular rainfall events, which are difficult to interpret from spot water level readings. |
| Pore water pressure | Piezometers | Installed to monitor groundwater pressure at a particular depth. |
| Overland flow | Crest stage tubes | Installed to monitor overland flow/run-off from the slopes after periods of heavy rainfall. |
| Rainfall | Rain gauges | Installed to collect rainfall data via either automated or regularly monitored systems. |
| Ground movement | Tension crack pegs | Installed either side of existing tension cracks and regularly monitored to determine rates and frequencies of crack extension and ground movement. |
| Detailed ground movement | Extensometers | Automated systems that can be installed in existing tension cracks to establish both the nature and rate of ground movement. Automated systems allow for data collection on ground movement at regular intervals ( e.g. every 3 hrs) and therefore allow collation of ground movement with groundwater and rainfall characteristics on a given site. |
| Shear surface movement | Inclinometers | Installed in deep peat landslides (+ 2.5m) in locations where the depth of the shear surface is known to monitor rates of deformation at the shear surface. Where inclinometers may not be appropriate slip indicator methods can be used; Simple polythene tubing which is installed in the peat slope and probed regularly. The depth of deformation in the tubing indicates the potential position of the shear surface. |
Contact
Email: Energy Consents Unit
Phone: 0300 244 4000 – Central Enquiry Unit
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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