Discharge measurements, definition of rating curve and hydraulic models
CAE has special equipment (GNSS detection system, robot total station with laser scanner, ADCP with floating support and hydraulic reels) to perform topographical surveys and discharge measurements that allow creating rating curve and hydraulic models. This service is preliminary to implementing real-time automatic systems to monitor discharge. In order to calculate the discharge, CAE uses traditional techniques as well as a model it has fine tuned, which, after initial calibration of site-specific parameters, can estimate the average speed of current within the measurement section from the surface speed data and can combine them for each measured hydrometric level with the wet area, giving a reliable measurement of the discharge in real time at the installation site.
Installation
The client is supported by technicians with different expertise in the various system implementation stages, from fulfilling bureaucratic obligations to installing and commissioning the system, which will then be delivered perfectly operating and ready to be used in a short time.
The efficiency and reliability of installation of the equipment of a monitoring system is one of the major priorities of CAE, absolutely essential to ensure the reliability of measurements and duration over time of the client's investment.
The CAE technicians, due to their preparation and experience, are capable of installing stations also in sites that are logistically very complex, such as Alpine peaks, viaducts, offshore platforms, landslide fronts, etc. as well as having high level information technology competencies on the hardware and software products for installation in a control centre.
Remote assistance and maintenance
Our remote maintenance service, called tele-service, is the feather in the cap of CAE, supplied by highly specialised personnel capable of checking and servicing the systems remotely to keep them highly effective. This service includes daily checking the networks in order to verify their proper operation and the quality of acquired data. Due to this service, field operations, whether scheduled or not, are decisively faster and more effective. Furthermore, it ensures constant support to the client's operators, supporting them for any type of event, from the most critical ones, where CAE offers continuous 24/7 assistance, to those that occur during calm periods.The service also includes the Maintenance portal, a web tool that allows the client to always monitor its network and to submit requests for intervention.
On site assistance and maintenance
CAE performs an accurate maintenance service on the installation sites, which ensures proper operation of the system and its individual pieces of equipment over time, ensuring prompt repairs in the event of faults. This activity allows keeping the system always perfectly efficient and up to date, as demonstrated by the fact that some CAE stations installed in the 80s are still properly operating and do not require replacement. The service is performed with care due to the conviction that proper scheduled maintenance is the basis to always ensure the effective operations of systems, even and especially during emergencies.
Decision Support System commissioning
CAE takes care of the Decision Support System (DSS) commissioning, i.e. software systems that support decisions. The application fields where these solutions can be useful are varied, from forecasting floods to fighting bush fires, to mitigating risks due to droughts or landslides. DSS are particularly useful in case of emergency, since they can acquire and process a vast quantity of different types of data in a short time, transforming them into information, allowing the relevant officers to take strategic decisions. In order for these systems to be effective, they must have receive accurate and reliable real time data in order to process them by means of specific calculation models. The entire commissioning, customisation and calibration service for DSS is offered by CAE together with national research centres, university departments and industry partners selected according to the specific needs of individual projects.