If You Don't Measure, Did It Happen?

Today, geotechnical and structural instrumentation monitoring is included in most construction projects by virtue of building codes or agency specifications. Often, however, instrumentation program design isn't given the same attention as other aspects of the project design, and in many cases, the monitoring program is treated as a necessary cost for the project and contractor. This article examines some aspects of the design and implementation of instrumentation that can improve the usefulness and user-friendliness of the program and the data collected. Typically, discussions of construction-related instrumentation and monitoring, or I&M, mostly refer to movements (i.e., displacements, strains, and vibration) caused by the construction activities.