One routine for the whole life of an installed rockfall or avalanche barrier line: review of documents and installation, a QR-coded ID tag, a written inspection plan, remote monitoring with Geobrugg GUARD, inspection after a notification and a periodic condition report. GUARD is a measuring device fitted to a barrier rope; it measures impacts, rope force and corrosion and reports events. The service also applies to lines built by other manufacturers: the documents are reviewed first and the written opinions of the barrier manufacturer and of Geobrugg are obtained. A notification tells when a site visit is needed; it does not replace the visit.
The problem
Once a barrier line is installed, three questions often go unanswered. The first is documents: is the system on site the one in the quotation and the declaration of performance, and was it installed to the manufacturer's manual? The second is records: when was the last inspection, and what has the line been through since then? The third is time: if a block hits or the net fills between two inspections, nobody knows until the next visit. Where different manufacturers built lines along the same route in different years, the three questions have to be asked line by line.
This service answers the three questions from a single source. Here, "adding intelligence" to a barrier means only this: a device on the barrier measures and reports, the record builds up in one place, and the decision is still taken by the responsible engineer and the owner.
The service step by step
| Step | What is done and measured | What you can decide | What goes on the tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Document and installation review | The declaration of performance (DoP), European Technical Assessment (ETA), installation manual and system drawing are read; the net, ropes, braking elements and post layout on site are compared with them | Accept the quotation, take over the line, or ask for a written explanation of what is missing | On an installed line, an "Inspection" record together with the zero-point inspection |
| 2. ID tag and zero-point inspection | A QR-coded ID tag is opened for the line; its current condition is measured: residual height, braking element elongation, ropes and connections, coating | Maintenance interval and first repair list | System identity, maintenance interval and an "Inspection" record; the next inspection date is calculated from them |
| 3. Inspection plan | The routine interval and the triggers are written down: monitoring notification, earthquake, field report, heavy rain and storm; the action and the person responsible for each | Who goes to site in which case, and who receives notifications | Maintenance interval (the calendar and reminders follow from it) |
| 4. Remote monitoring with GUARD | Prior review (rope diameter and type, documents; on another manufacturer's line, the opinions of the barrier manufacturer and of Geobrugg), mobile coverage measurement, device layout and installation, setting thresholds, testing the notification list | Which line, how many devices, which threshold triggers a notification | If the device is installed during a visit that also inspects the line, the number of devices and their position on the rope are noted in that "Inspection" record; if only the device is installed, this goes into the inspection plan |
| 5. Inspection after a notification | Reading on the dashboard, post-event inspection on site, repair | Scope of repair and return of the line to service; the decision on the road lies with the road authority | "Event", "Inspection" and "Repair" records |
| 6. Periodic condition report | Notifications and field findings of the period, rope force and corrosion data, device status | Replacing parts, corrosion protection, reassessing the inspection interval | Report summary; a new maintenance interval if needed |
On the tag (Turkish interface) these records appear as "Kontrol" (inspection), "Olay" (event) and "Onarım" (repair).
Each step can also be ordered on its own, but the order does not change: no monitoring device is fitted before the document and installation review, because a device does not fix a missing or wrong part.
1. Document and installation review: findings in writing
A rockfall barrier is assessed as a kit; whether the system on site is the assessed system is established from the documents and the parts list. The checks you can run yourself are listed item by item in the document checklist. If you prefer, we run the same list and give you the findings in writing. The review can take place at three points:
| When | What we look at | What you can decide |
|---|---|---|
| At quotation | The document items in the list: DoP, ETA entry, number of the certificate of constancy of performance and the notified body, energy stated in figures, height within the ETA, installation manual and system drawing | Accept the quotation as it is, or request the missing document in writing |
| Before handover | Net type, rope diameters, number and position of braking elements, post spacing, number and torque of clips on site, compared with the parts list and drawing in the manual; anchor pull-out test records where they exist | Take over the line, or ask for the gaps to be closed |
| On an installed line | The owner requests missing documents from the manufacturer, or we do so with the owner's written authorisation; the kit on site is compared with the documents available and its current condition is measured | Maintenance and repair plan; closing the documentation gap |
This review does not replace the owner's formal acceptance; the findings are given in writing to whoever carries out the acceptance.
We carry out the review against the ETA and installation manual of whichever manufacturer built the barrier. If a question cannot be answered from the documents, the report says "manufacturer's assessment requested". If the line has no ETA and no declaration of performance, the report says so plainly: the line is not an assessed kit. An ID tag and monitoring do not make it one; the system entry on the tag is marked "no declaration of performance".
Artusa is Geobrugg's representative in Türkiye. We state this relationship on the first page of every report. The report recommends no product, and the review is not tied to the purchase of any product or device. We do not review other bids in a procurement in which we have bid, or will bid, for the same work.
2. ID tag and zero-point inspection
The ID tag is the line's identity card and maintenance log. A QR-coded plate is fitted at the beginning and the end of the line. Scanning it shows the system type and name, energy class, height, line length, installation date, last and next inspection dates and the maintenance log. The tag does the following:
- Maintenance log. Installation, inspection, maintenance, event and repair are entered with their dates. A photo report from the field enters the log after it has been reviewed.
- Calendar and reminders. The next inspection date is calculated by adding the maintenance interval to the last inspection record. It can be added to your calendar from the tag; the calendar reminds you 14 days ahead. When 30 days or fewer remain, a reminder e-mail goes to Artusa, and to the owner too if an e-mail address is on the tag; if the date has passed, the reminder is repeated every 30 days.
- Inspection form. A component list for the line type is printed and filled in on site (sample form, in Turkish).
- Earthquake record. If AFAD, Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, records an earthquake above the magnitude threshold set by Artusa and within a magnitude-dependent distance of a line whose location is stored on its tag, the earthquake is entered in that line's log automatically; the owner is notified too if an e-mail address is on the tag.
Reminders and earthquake records are a convenience: they depend on AFAD data arriving and on e-mail delivery. Keeping track of the inspection calendar and deciding on an inspection after an earthquake remain the owner's responsibility, including after an earthquake below the threshold.
The tag page does not publish the project name, the client or coordinates. How the tag works is on the barrier ID tag page; the sample tag shows a live record (Turkish interface).
3. Inspection plan
The inspection plan is the line's short, written maintenance routine: when the routine inspection is done, which events call for an extra inspection, who is notified and who decides. The routine interval is taken from the barrier manufacturer's maintenance manual; where there is no manual, it is set from the findings of the zero-point inspection and entered on the tag. The tag holds a single interval; seasonal dates, such as before winter and after the snow on an avalanche line, are written separately in the plan. What is checked in an inspection, the default interval on the tag and how decisions are made from measurements are on the inspection and maintenance page.
| Trigger | Where it comes from | What is done | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine date | Maintenance interval and calendar on the tag | Periodic inspection with the inspection form | The owner schedules it; the inspecting engineer records the findings |
| Monitoring notification | GUARD dashboard; e-mail or text message (SMS), depending on the settings | Reading on the dashboard; the priority of the post-event inspection is set | The road authority for the road below the line (together with the owner where they differ); the inspecting engineer for the condition of the line |
| Earthquake | AFAD record: entered in the tag log automatically for a nearby earthquake above the threshold; below it, the owner's own information | The post-earthquake inspection list | The owner |
| Field report | Photo report through the QR code on the tag | Reviewed; inspection if needed | The owner; with our assessment where the contract says so |
| Heavy rain, storm, snow | Weather and field observation | Additional visual check | The owner |
The recipients of notifications and their deputies, out-of-hours arrangements, the response time on site and who may change a threshold are written in the contract. Responsibility for inspection and maintenance stays with the owner; we take on these tasks within the scope listed in the contract.
4. Remote monitoring with GUARD
Geobrugg GUARD is a system developed to monitor protection structures against natural hazards, such as rockfall barriers, snow nets and debris flow barriers. It has two parts: a small measuring device fitted to a barrier rope and an online dashboard where the data is viewed. The device works wirelessly, needs no external power supply and sends its data over the mobile network. What it measures according to the manufacturer's documents, and which decision each measurement feeds in this service:
| Measured | Range in the manufacturer's documents | What it shows | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact acceleration, on three axes | 0–200 g (g: acceleration due to gravity) | Whether an impact occurred, when, and the size of the acceleration (not the block size or energy) | Timing of the post-event inspection; if several lines were loaded in the same event, which one to visit first |
| Rope force | Up to 294 kN (kilonewton); also given as 30,000 kg in the manufacturer's documents | Slowly increasing load such as snow pressure or material accumulating in the net; it indicates the degree of filling, the engineer interprets it | Timing of emptying or of an interim inspection |
| Corrosion | No range given; the sensor measures a current in microamperes (µA), and the result is given as a corrosion rate | Corrosion in the line's own microclimate; the corrosivity category (C1–CX to EN ISO 9223) is assessed from it | Estimate of remaining life; planning corrosion protection or replacement of parts |
| Temperature and humidity | −50 °C to 80 °C; humidity 0–100% | The conditions behind the other readings | Interpreting the corrosion and snow load readings |
| Orientation, on three axes | XYZ axes, in g (no range given) | Position of the device on the rope | Not tied to a separate threshold in this service; used when interpreting readings after an event |
| Device status | Battery voltage and signal strength | Whether the device is measuring and sending data | Device maintenance when there is a battery or connection problem |
Data and notifications. When an event such as a rockfall impact occurs, the dashboard informs by e-mail or SMS, depending on the settings. Slowly changing measurements such as rope force and corrosion are followed on the dashboard. How often data reaches the dashboard and which measurement is notified by which route are settled in writing with Geobrugg at installation and written into the inspection plan.
Thresholds. The manufacturer's documents give no numerical thresholds. We propose the thresholds for each line from the forces in the barrier's documents, the manufacturer's maintenance limits and the line's readings in the first period; a threshold is fixed with the owner's approval. How thresholds are chosen and the baseline period are described on the early warning and monitoring page.
Dashboard and data. The device is activated with a customer account set up by Geobrugg, and the data is viewed on the manufacturer's online dashboard. Who has access to the dashboard is decided together with the owner. If the organisation wishes, the data can also be passed to its own monitoring platform through a data interface (REST API); this option is listed as a separate item in the quotation. The manufacturer's documents do not state the server location, the retention period or the rights of use of the data; these are settled in writing before the contract. The names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses on the notification list are personal data. Since the dashboard account is set up by the manufacturer in Switzerland, their transfer and storage are dealt with in the contract under Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK).
If you wish, notifications also come to us. How quickly we read a notification, out-of-hours arrangements and how quickly we plan the site visit are written in the contract. Notifications sent to us do not replace the owner's own monitoring manager and notification list. We enter the inspection result on the tag.
Installation and layout. The device is fitted to the rope with a clamp tightened by two hexagon nuts, following the manufacturer's installation manual. The nuts are not tightened beyond the torque limit in the manual; wrong tightening can damage the rope. According to the manual, the device is fitted only to steel wire ropes of 12–24 mm diameter and stays at least one U-brake length (a Geobrugg braking element) away from other parts on the rope. The manufacturer requires that the device must not adversely affect the performance of the system. The manufacturer's product description gives a battery life of 7–10 years. Mobile coverage is measured on site before installation; where coverage is weak or absent, a solution is agreed with Geobrugg and stated separately in the quotation. The number of devices and their position on the rope are set with Geobrugg according to the length and type of the line.
Which lines. The GUARD documents describe the device for protection structures based on flexible nets. On anchored mesh and drapery, the document review, ID tag and inspection plan apply in the same way; whether a monitoring device suits these lines is assessed separately.
5. Inspection after a notification
A notification is a warning, not a decision. The engineer interprets the reading and an authorised person starts the action:
- Reading on the dashboard: which device, how large, when.
- Traffic and access decision for the road or structure below the line: for a road, the road authority decides; if there is a hazard, this decision comes first.
- Post-event inspection on site: braking elements, ropes, net and residual height (Turkish tool).
- Repair and return of the line to service.
- Record: the notification, inspection and repair are entered in the tag log; a short note is written for the event (time of the notification, peak value, inspection date, findings, photographs).
If notifications come from several lines in the same event, the acceleration magnitudes help decide which line to visit first.
6. Periodic condition report
At the interval in the inspection plan, the condition of the line is brought together in one report:
- The notifications of the period, next to the field finding for each. If notifications come without traces on site, or traces are found without a notification, the threshold and the device position are reviewed.
- The trend of rope force and, where relevant, the interpretation of filling.
- Corrosivity category and the estimate of remaining life, as a range with its uncertainty; we do not give a single year.
- Device status: battery, signal, data gaps.
- Recommended work, order of urgency and the next inspection date.
The report goes to the owner and its summary is written on the tag.
GUARD on another manufacturer's barrier
The GUARD manual sets the installation conditions: a steel wire rope of 12–24 mm diameter, the tightening limit and the placement rules. For use on another manufacturer's barrier, Geobrugg's written confirmation is also obtained for each project. The European Assessment Document (EAD) 340059 for rockfall barriers does not mention monitoring devices. So we do not assume the device has no effect on the barrier; we work in this order:
- Document and site review (step 1): rope diameter and type, type and position of braking elements, current condition of the line. Anything missing is put right first, with that manufacturer's original parts.
- The barrier manufacturer's written opinion. The owner requests it, or we do so with the owner's written authorisation. The questions: whether the manufacturer objects to a clamped measuring device on a specific rope, how far the device must stay from brakes and connections, and the effect on warranty and maintenance obligations. If the manufacturer gives no written opinion, the report says so. In that case we fit the device only if the owner accepts in writing the possible effect on the barrier's warranty and maintenance obligations.
- Geobrugg's written confirmation for use on that barrier and for the device layout.
- The owner's written approval: intervention on the structure, notification list, where the data is kept.
On another manufacturer's line, missing parts are completed and repairs and replacements are made only with parts defined in that manufacturer's ETA and installation manual, following the manual; no other manufacturer's net, brake or rope is used. If an original part cannot be found, the report says so and the owner decides.
The device is recorded not as part of the kit but as a separate measuring device. The review of the line is still made against that barrier manufacturer's own documents.
Limits
- Monitoring does not prevent blocks from detaching and does not increase the capacity of the barrier.
- The monitoring in this service is not an alarm system: a notification does not close a road by itself and does not call emergency services. Where immediate intervention is needed, a separate system is installed (early warning and monitoring).
- No notification does not mean no event. Slowly changing measurements become visible only when the data reaches the dashboard; if the device sends no data, no notification comes either. So the monitoring manager checks the dashboard regularly, and data gaps are recorded in the periodic report.
- A notification tells when a site visit is needed; it does not replace the visit.
- Our report is a technical inspection report, that is, an engineering opinion; it is not a certificate or a declaration of conformity.
How it starts
On an existing line, the document review and the zero-point inspection are done together on the first visit, the ID tag is opened and the inspection plan written. If a monitoring device is wanted, it is fitted during the zero-point inspection or at a later periodic inspection. On a newly installed line these steps are combined with the review before handover. Ask for monitoring and an inspection plan for your line. What is needed for a quotation is listed under Frequently asked questions below.
Frequently asked questions
- Can GUARD be fitted to another manufacturer's barrier? Yes, if the conditions are met. The rope must be a steel wire rope of 12–24 mm diameter, Geobrugg's tightening and placement rules must be applicable, and the written opinions of the barrier manufacturer and of Geobrugg must be obtained. The barrier's documents and its condition on site are reviewed first.
- Does a monitoring device affect the barrier's assessment or performance? The European Assessment Document for rockfall barriers (EAD 340059) does not mention monitoring devices. The device's manufacturer also sets placement and tightening rules so that system performance is not adversely affected. So we do not say "it has no effect": the device is fitted to these rules and the barrier manufacturer's opinion is obtained in writing.
- Is an on-site inspection still needed with monitoring? Yes. The manufacturer's brochure states that continuous monitoring can reduce the number of inspections; monitoring helps plan from measured data when an inspection is needed. After an event, on-site inspection and repair still take place. We have found no regulation in Türkiye that puts monitoring in place of inspection.
- Does the road close automatically when a notification comes in? No. The notification goes to the owner, the road authority and the designated people; the road authority decides on traffic.
- What if there is no mobile coverage? Coverage is measured on site before installation. Where it is weak or absent, a solution is agreed with Geobrugg and stated separately in the quotation. The device version and the mobile line type for use in Türkiye are also confirmed with the manufacturer before installation.
- Where is the monitoring data kept? The device works with a customer account set up by Geobrugg; if the organisation wishes, the data is also passed to its own platform. The server location, retention period, rights of use of the data and the transfer of personal data on the notification list are settled in writing before the contract; for public authorities this is discussed separately.
- What is needed for a rockfall barrier monitoring quotation? Location and length of the line, manufacturer and type of the barrier, the DoP, ETA, installation manual and system drawing if available, the tag code if there is one, and photographs of the line.
Sources: Geobrugg GUARD technical product description (15.05.2023), brochure (31.07.2023) and manual (21.05.2024); EAD 340059-00-0106 (July 2018). Measuring ranges are the values in the manufacturer's documents.