Reliable sensor technology for civil engineering and construction
The construction and civil engineering sectors demand robust, high-performance measurement systems. Sensor solutions must operate reliably in harsh environments, withstand mechanical stress, and deliver long-term measurement stability. Althen offers a wide range of high-precision sensors and measurement systems tailored for structural and geotechnical applications, such as bridge monitoring, tunnel surveillance, dam safety, foundation analysis, and building integrity monitoring.
Our systems measure key physical parameters including pressure, vibration, inclination, concrete strain, soil and rock pressure, and displacement. These values are converted into reliable electrical signals, ready for integration into advanced monitoring systems. When combined with our powerful Graphtec data loggers and data acquisition systems, they enable scalable, autonomous multi-channel setups for long-term data collection, ideal for structural health monitoring and geotechnical assessments.
Smart solutions for infrastructure and structural monitoring
Structural crack monitoring
Measuring displacement at cracks provides critical insights into the structural stability and remaining service life of a structure. To achieve this, crack displacement sensors are installed directly across cracks in concrete surfaces or across joints between structural elements. These sensors precisely track crack movement over time. Thanks to their robust, waterproof design, they are ideal for long-term outdoor deployment—even under harsh environmental conditions. The data collected supports continuous structural health monitoring and enables early detection of risks, making these sensors a reliable component in civil and structural safety assessments.
Measuring soil pressure
Increased ground pressure may indicate unstable soil conditions or upcoming ground movement, potentially leading to landslides, slope failure, or other hazardous situations. Continuous monitoring with specialized ground pressure sensors enables early detection of these risks. By providing reliable, real-time data, the system supports proactive safety measures, helping to prevent accidents, structural damage, and costly downtime in geotechnical and infrastructure projects.
Geomonitoring
Geotechnical inclinometers can be used to measure horizontal displacements in soils or structures. They are an important tool in soil testing and construction monitoring - especially for slopes, retaining walls, dams and deep excavations. Their main purpose is to record lateral ground movements at depth over a long period of time.
Tension and vibration measurement
Continuous monitoring of stresses and vibrations is crucial for the early detection of material fatigue, structural weaknesses, or damage caused by traffic loads, wind, or temperature fluctuations. By using high-precision capacitive accelerometers and advanced measurement systems, critical changes can be identified at an early stage. This enables accurate condition assessment, enhances structural safety, and allows asset managers to plan maintenance activities in a targeted and cost-efficient way.
Deformation and load monitoring
Concrete material use strain gauges are specialized sensors used to measure deformation and mechanical loads in concrete structures, synthetic resin components, and other construction materials. They are applied both for internal strain monitoring during the curing process—such as temperature and load development—and for long-term observation of cracking and surface behavior.
These sensors provide critical data for the structural assessment of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, retaining walls, struts, and sheet piling. Thanks to their high sensitivity and reliability, strain gauges enable accurate and continuous evaluation of material condition over time.
Intelligent monitoring systems
With SmartBrick, Althen provides a cost-effective, high-tech sensor system for monitoring large structures such as quay walls, foundations, and buildings. SmartBrick continuously monitors slope and other physical parameters with high precision and transmits the data wirelessly to a secure online control platform.
The system combines accurate and frequent measurements with scalable, cost-efficient production. It features integrated artificial intelligence for automated data analysis and operates with ultra-low power consumption, making it ideal for long-term structural health monitoring in challenging environments.
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A-Class QualitySensortechnology
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Long-term PartnershipIn product an process
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Reliable and ExperiencedProven trackrecord over 75 years
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Innovative and NewState-of-the-art products and developments
Productcategories
Concrete material use strain gauges
- Strain limit to 2%
- Measure strain on concrete, mortar or rock
- Gauge lengths 10 to 120 mm
Strain gauges for embedding in concrete or mortar
- PML, PMF and PMFLS Series
- Measuring resistor value 120Ω
- Gauge lengths from 10 to 120 mm
General purpose pressure sensors
- Measuring range -1 to 10.000 bar
- Standard Low-cost
- Variety of options available
Capacitive accelerometers
- Measuring range: up to ±400 g
- Resolution: up to <1 µg
- Excellent temperature stability
Multi axis vibration sensors
- Measuring range 12 g to 6.000 g
- Low noise & great frequency response
- Measure vibration in two or more axes
Geotechnical (electrolytic) inclinometers
- Measuring range ±0.00000575° to ±90°
- Resolution as low as <2.5 nanoradians
- For monitoring infrastructures
IoT inclination sensors
- Cost-effective and accurate monitoring of civil infrastructure
- Easy to install
- Interactive dashboards
Fiber optic position sensors
- Measuring range 0 to 25 mm
- High precision in demanding environments
Infrastructure Monitoring
- For critical applications that require high safety standards
- Decentralised, highly flexible measurement systems in modular design
- Convenient remote monitoring in near real time
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Reliable data logging for precise and continuous monitoring
Data loggers are a critical component of automated measurement systems. They record, store, and analyze measurement data for physical variables such as temperature, humidity, voltage, pressure, and vibration. This enables continuous and accurate monitoring in a wide range of applications, including structural health monitoring, excavation control, geotechnical analysis, and material testing. The use of data loggers improves measurement reliability, ensures complete data traceability, and facilitates early detection of anomalies or potential damage. Althen Sensors & Controls offers a comprehensive portfolio of data loggers tailored to various industrial needs. Our Graphtec data loggers are especially well-suited for use in the construction and civil engineering sectors. These compact systems support up to 200 measurement channels and store data directly to internal memory, SD card, USB drive, or PC. Depending on the application, we provide both displayless models with USB or Ethernet interfaces, and versions with large integrated color displays for real-time data visualization and evaluation.
Gerelateerde producten
AV0823B Multi Axis Vibration Sensors
- IEPE output
- With high sensitivity
- low frequency limit and very low noise
GRAPHTEC GL980 High-speed Data Logger
- High speed 1 MS/s simultaneous sampling
- Isolated 8 channels voltage/temperature input
- Large-capacity built-in 4MW/ch RAM memory (Ref.GL900: 1MW/ch)
LMP Series Stainless Steel Load Pin
- Ranges: 0 - 500 kg to 0 - 1.500 ton
- Special design options available
- Choice of environmental seals
KG-A Crack displacement transducer
- Drip-proof structure
- Excellent stability over a long priod of time
- High sensitivity, High accuracy
KDJ-PA/KDK-PA Load Cell type Soil Pressure Gauge
- Made of all stainless steel
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- Robuster than the diaphragm type
We are here for you!
Do you need support, advice or a concrete offer for sensors for the realization of your project? We are here for you!