NIVEXCTM

AN ELECTRONIC SNOW-POLE FOR REAL-TIME MONITORINGAN ELECTRONIC SNOW-POLE FOR REAL-TIME MONITORING

OF AVALANCHE STARTING ZONES

Massimiliano Barbolini

Flow-Ing s.r.l. - Italy

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

Automatic Station Manual Snow

Profile

Traditional snow

poleNIVEXCTM

NIVEXCTM – Motivations 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Aval. Starting

Zones � � ☺ ☺

Real-Time / Bad

Weather ☺ � � ☺

Internal SC

properties � ☺ � �/☺

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

The pole is made of an aluminium cold

shaped hollow structural section (3 m

long in the standard configuration) and a

series of openings (“NIVEXC windows”)

and coloured stripes along its length

1. ALUMINIUM MAIN FRAME

NIVEXCTM – Technical Details 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

In order to reduce deflections and loads

on the main pole, NIVEXC TM is provided

with a double set of bracing system.

2. BRACING SYSTEM

NIVEXCTM – Technical Details 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

In order to reduce deflections and loads

on the main pole, NIVEXC TM is provided

with a double set of bracing system.

3. FOUNDATION

NIVEXCTM – Technical Details 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

NIVEXCTM has been provided with a data

transmission equipment which enables data

transmission on three different types of

communication network: RF Link channel,

mobile network GPRS/UMTS and satellite

network.

4. DATA TRANSMISSION

NIVEXCTM – Technical Details 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

5. BOX WITH BATTERY AND CONTROL UNIT

NIVEXCTM – Technical Details 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Hardware and power supply units are installed

underground in a waterproof box buried next to the pole.

The power supply unit has a voltage of 12V and has been designed to

withstand a full winter season with multiple daily records.

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

SENSOR BOXES

NIVEXCTM pole is provided with an array of

windows. Each window is suited to hold a “sensor

box” that includes three different types of sensors

1.TEMPERATURE SENSORS

Temp. profile, gradient

2.OPTICAL SENSORS

Snow cover depth, precipit. rates1

2

NIVEXCTM – Technical Details 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Snow cover depth, precipit. rates

3. ELECTRODES

snow cover depth, density (?)

Output data resolution can be adjusted by varying

the gap between sensor boxes[Mod. 300/14 � 20 cm; Mod. 300/26 � 10 cm]

1

33

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

NIVEXCTM INSTALLATION SITES AND FIELD TESTING

NIVEXCTM – Real World Installation 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Tignes (FR)

Gressoney (AO)

MILAN

TURIN

LYON

Valle Pesio (CN)

GENOA

TURIN

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

Research activity carried out in collaboration with: “RAVA” & “FONDAZIONE MONTAGNA SICURA”

GRESSONEY (AO) – P.TA SEEHORE EXP. SITE

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Period: Nov. 2013 – On going

Altitude: 2’480 m a.s.l.

Aspect: North

Slope: 35°

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

150

200

250

300

Hei

ght [

cm]

Data Validation – Snow Depth and Snow Precipitation

GRESSONEY (AO) – P.TA SEEHORE

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

0

50

10085cm

05/11/2014around 11.00am

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

Data Validation – Temperature profile

GRESSONEY (AO) – P.TA SEEHORE

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

200

250

300

He

igh

t [c

m]

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

0

50

100

150

-15 -10 -5 0 5

He

igh

t [c

m]

Temperature [°C]

Temperature Profile

according to NIVEXC

Temperature Profile

according to VDA survey

Snow Depth according to

VDA survey

Snow Depth according to

NIVEXC

18/01/2015 9.00am

Research on avalanche forecasting (precursors and thresholds) – ongoing activity

GRESSONEY (AO) – P.TA SEEHORE

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

6

8

10

12In

tens

ity (

cm/h

)

Spontaneous Av. Releases -

winter seasons 2013/14 and

2014/15

[avalanche data: Regione

Autonoma Valle d’Aosta]

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

0

2

4

6

0 6 12 18 24 30

Inte

nsity

(cm

/h)

Duration (h)

Research activity carried out in collaboration with “TAS”

TIGNES (FR)

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Period: Feb. 2014 – On going

Altitude: 2’560 m a.s.l.

Aspect: West

Slope: 40°

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

Detection of successful blasting

TIGNES (FR)

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Images of the slope taken by the Tignes webcam (“Tignes – Le Lac”)Red Circle indicates the Nivexc location

14/04/2015, 5:50 p.m.before Gaz-ex shot

14/04/2015, 6:00 p.m.After Gaz-ex shot

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

Ds trend

100

150

Ds

[cm

]

Detection of successful blasting

TIGNES (FR)

NIVEXCTM – Field Testing 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

GA

Z-E

X S

HO

T

0

50

01/0

4/20

15 h

:06

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4/20

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:18

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4/20

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:06

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4/20

15 h

:06

Time [day/h]

Ds

[cm

]

GA

Z

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

- “stand-alone” tools suitable for installation in av.

starting zones and for real-time monitoring (in any

weather condition)

- structural simplicity and robustness (all sensors

are located inside the pole and protruding element of

any type, including solar panel, are avoided) ensure

an easy installation and minimum maintenance

NIVEXCTM – Conclusions 18° EAWS, Rome, 4th – 7th June 2015

Main advantage of NIVEXCTM pole:

an easy installation and minimum maintenance

- reliability (the measure of most important parameter,

the total snow cover depth, can be cross-validated

with data from three different types of sensors)

- flexibility of use (length of pole and number of

sensor boxes can be adjusted; frequency of measure

can be remotely varied during winter season)

17

NIVEXCTM IS DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY:

Grazie per la cortese attenzione

Thanks for your kind attention

Merci pour votre aimable attention

www.flow-ing.com/nivexc

Merci pour votre aimable attention

Gracias por su atención

Danke für Ihre freundliche Aufmerksamkeit

Special Thanks:

Ente Parco Naturale del Marguareis

Regione Autonoma Valle d’aosta

Fondazione Montagna Sicura

Università di Torino - NatRisk

TAS/MND