A raging river and a weathered old railway bridge – such was the proving ground for the civil engineers of Keller Grundbau in the Austrian region of Pongau. Their mission was to replace this aging structure with a new bridge. In the midst of these challenging conditions, we find an inconspicuous-looking instrument that has nevertheless proven itself extremely useful, even indispensable for the company – the LiPAD^®-100.

The portable north finder from LITEF is a handy helper that lets you quickly and precisely align drill rigs and record drilling data. This system is a must-have on any geologically challenging construction site. For Keller, it’s a game changer. With over 120 drill holes and 630 tons of cement required to stabilise the railway subsoil, this tool saves them a tremendous amount of time and enables them to drill holes with high precision.

Convenient, durable and easy to use

The LiPAD®-100 has proven itself to be extremely user-friendly in the field. With its convenient size and durable construction, it stands up to the roughest environments in special civil engineering. Water, vibrations, falls and extreme temperature variations are no match for this device. Since the LiPAD^®-100 does not require any GNSS signal, e.g. GPS, it can be used for drilling tunnels underground – and still delivers precise readings. Its Bluetooth capability also allows you to send data in real time to an external viewing device such as your tablet or smartphone up 15-20 metres away, automatically recording your results.

Taking measurements in no time at all

Where the LiPAD^®-100 truly shines is its ease of use. After a simple set-up procedure, you’re ready for super-fast drill rig alignment. It’s so easy that one person can do it on their own. After about two metres of drilling, you can use the LiPAD^®-100 to remeasure the drill rig alignment and make a quick adjustment if necessary. This ensures that the level of precision remains constant throughout the drilling process. “Our customers tell us that the gyrocompass has revolutionized the way they work and that they can’t imagine their workday without it anymore. This device is so simple to use that not only site managers but also foremen, equipment drivers and machine operators can be quickly trained to work with it”, says Erik Bergmüller, Sales & Business Development Manager at Northrop Grumman LITEF GmbH. It’s important to mention that the system runs on a powerful rechargeable battery, so it can be used all day with no problem.

Precision and efficiency in practice

The gyrocompass is also playing a major role in one of the biggest infrastructure projects currently under way in Austria – the expansion of the Vienna underground train lines U2 and U5. In this project, companies like ZÜBLIN and PORR are working together to upgrade and expand the underground rail network. With new hubs and line extensions, Vienna’s public transit system is going to be better than ever. The challenge is that the ground underneath the city has to be stabilised to accommodate the rail lines and prevent sinking. The LiPAD®-100 is being used to construct approximately 1700 injection wells per station with extremely high accuracy – all in the shortest time ever achieved. Five of these prized instruments are being used in parallel for the project, providing high-precision drilling results every day.

Other applications in the construction industry

The LiPAD®-100 is also used to for drilling anchoring points for tiebacks, e.g. to reinforce embankments or slopes. In addition, it serves a valuable purpose in ground freezing for tunnel construction, helping to stabilise the environment before the actual start of construction. “Anywhere you need precise drilling results or you’re drilling many identical holes, our portable measuring tool makes the work much easier and is a handy helper on the job site”, says Erik Bergmüller.

LiPAD®-100 - an invaluable tool on the construction site

In the field, the LiPAD^®-100 has become an indispensable everyday tool on construction sites and a real game changer for many builders. “We worked closely with our customers to develop this tool. So we were able to design the gyrocompass to provide real added value on a daily basis and be genuinely practical to use in the field”, emphasizes Erik Bergmüller. With the ability to deliver precise drilling results in very little time and to facilitate daily operations for experts on the construction site, the LiPAD®-100 has become a reliable partner for success in this challenging industry.