The cabinet and flood detection pit for D5 are shown above, with the cabinet sited to minimise its visual impact.

Technology Used

Signs a have a full matrix area to enable future setting of messages which are not flood related, providing further flexibility of the solution.

Image showing signs designed to fit within the space available on verges and minimising visual intrusion when not in use:

Detecting Flooding

Flooding is detected by Sick pressure sensors housed in subterranean chambers. These not only fill with water during flood events but become submerged under the standing water. The Sick pressure sensors have a transducer which converts water pressure into a 20mA analogue output. The typical car park outstation has been adapted to monitor this sensor and convert the water level into a car park count.

Using the UTMC car park count outstation interface this water level is transmitted to the central system. With no water pressure, the detection reports “Spaces”. The next threshold, nearly flooded, reports “Nearly Full”, and “Full” is reported when flooding is happening. The pressure thresholds are related to the head of water above the sensor at the same height as the road surface and can be adjusted using SWARCO’s hosted management software.

The sensors are connected to a control and communications cabinet which is located nearby and at height to avoid flood damage to the components. These are battery powered with fuel cells to keep the battery at the correct operating voltage. Each fuel cell is calculated to have sufficient fuel (ethanol) to operate for up to two years. Fuel will be topped up at each annual maintenance visit. Remote Monitoring will generate alarms should fuel run low between these visits.

Maintenance and support for the field equipment and the central management software will be provided by SWARCO for a period of 10 years, during which this ITS application is expected to save a lot of disruption and possibly lives.

At SWARCO, Andrew Walker is Business Development Manager and Jennifer Neve is Marketing Manager