Ramboll and Enfo in partnership – creating a new system for real-time measurement of groundwater levels
Measuring groundwater levels at major infrastructure projects, such as the construction of tunnels and sewage systems, is a process that has not been modernized in decades. Now the IT services company Enfo, together with Ramboll in Sweden, has created a solution that provides safer, more sustainable real-time measurements.
In order to safeguard capacity for an increased number of inhabitants and to meet future environmental requirements, the City of Stockholm needs to renew the city’s sewage system. The project, run by Stockholm Vatten och Avfall, Sweden’s largest water and waste company, is expected to continue over the next few years and will double the capacity of the Henriksdal’s sewage treatment plant. Among other things, a new pumping station in Sickla will replace Bromma sewage treatment plant. In addition, a new 14-kilometer-long sewage tunnel will run from the Bromma area, via Sickla, to Henriksdal.
Historically, groundwater levels have been measured in these types of projects manually. The problem with this approach is that it takes a long time to analyze the measurement data. In addition, it has been difficult to work out the reasons for changes in groundwater levels, which has led to increased risks of additional costs, delays, and safety incidents.
In order to streamline the work, the sustainable consultancy firm Ramboll, together with the IT services company Enfo, has developed a new type of measurement system that will be used in the development of the City of Stockholm’s sewage system. It consists of devices that continuously measure groundwater levels at selected points. The data is sent directly to the cloud where it can be assessed through customized applications and analytics tools developed in Azure environment. The direct supply of data helps create a clearer picture of groundwater levels. This means, among other things, that safety measures, such as sealing tunnels, can be avoided, with significant environmental advantages as a result.
“We’re moving away from discussions about hardware, battery replacements and other service measures and can fully focus on the consequences of the measurement data instead, and that saves the client’s time. The technology makes us more flexible and significantly improves our analyses thanks to the data that automatic measurement provides. The fact that we can also offer access to real-time information allows us to act faster and thus reduce costs. The technology is now so sophisticated that it will soon be difficult to justify manual measurements. I am convinced that we have only seen the start of what the measurement processes of the future will be,” says Mattias von Brömssen, water expert and project manager at Ramboll.
There are numerous advantages. In addition to the system increasing safety and improving the work environment, the work is more resource efficient. The data generated automatically eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly manual measurements and analyses. In addition, the basis for decisions is assured, which allows Stockholm Vatten och Avfall to act immediately when the system issues a non-compliance alert.
“We strive to bring reassurance to our customers during their digitalization journey and contribute to their sustainable development. Developing new technologies to measure groundwater levels creates value on many levels, for example, regular measurement reduces the risk of harmful and costly groundwater lowering. The new system has also enabled increased safety, faster analyses and a new measurement service that Ramboll can offer its clients,” says Andreas Stenlund, CTO and Tech lead within the Integration business unit at Enfo.
Data from the measurement stations is also made available via a QR code, so that interested individuals can take part in the project and get a better understanding of what is happening in their immediate area.
The solution has allowed Ramboll to package the system as a service at a fixed price per month and measurement point, and the plan is now to expand the service to clients in the neighboring Nordic countries. Looking ahead, it will also be possible to adapt the system to enable its use in other types of construction projects, for example for noise and vibration measurements.
Caption: Close to Brommaplan is one of the measurement stations that monitor the groundwater levels along the new tunnel for wastewater being built through Stockholm. Photo: Ramboll
For more information, please contact:
Stina Thor, Sr. Communications Manager
Enfo
Phone: +46 70-214 3324
Email: stina.thor@enfogroup.com
Maria Tegin, PR Manager
Ramboll Sweden
Phone: +46 70-293 99 24
Email: maria.tegin@ramboll.se
About Enfo
Data-driven business. Results you want, people you love working with.
Enfo is a Nordic IT services company with more than 800 digital experts. With our knowledge in digital trust, data and analytics, applications, integration, and managed services, we both build and run IT solutions on cloud. We prioritize a collaborative approach and responsibility in everything we do. We work for a more sustainable and intelligent world where technology empowers people, businesses, and societies and accelerates their progress. enfogroup.com
About Ramboll
Ramboll is a global engineering, architecture and consultancy company founded in Denmark in 1945. Our 16,500 experts create sustainable solutions across Buildings; Transport; Water; Environment & Health; Architecture & Landscape; Energy and Management Consulting. Across the world, Ramboll combines local experience with a global knowledgebase to create sustainable cities and societies. We combine insights with the power to drive positive change to our clients, in the form of ideas that can be realised and implemented. We call it: Bright ideas. Sustainable change.
Read more on ramboll.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
