초록 ▼

A system is provided for preventing erosion of a bluff or hillside having a face extending between a toe at a bottom thereof and a crest at a top surface thereof, and a failure shear plane. The bluff or hillside is subject to excess water accumulation contributing to land mass degradation. The inven

A system is provided for preventing erosion of a bluff or hillside having a face extending between a toe at a bottom thereof and a crest at a top surface thereof, and a failure shear plane. The bluff or hillside is subject to excess water accumulation contributing to land mass degradation. The invention is improved by at least one horizontal wick drain positioned behind the failure shear plane in a water saturated zone substantially parallel to the crest of the bluff or hillside for the purpose of controlling drainage of the excess water accumulation. The horizontal wick drain is installed from the top surface of the bluff or hillside so as not to impair the structural integrity and cause land mass degradation of the face thereof.

대표청구항 ▼

A system is provided for preventing erosion of a bluff or hillside having a face extending between a toe at a bottom thereof and a crest at a top surface thereof, and a failure shear plane. The bluff or hillside is subject to excess water accumulation contributing to land mass degradation. The inven

A system is provided for preventing erosion of a bluff or hillside having a face extending between a toe at a bottom thereof and a crest at a top surface thereof, and a failure shear plane. The bluff or hillside is subject to excess water accumulation contributing to land mass degradation. The invention is improved by at least one horizontal wick drain positioned behind the failure shear plane in a water saturated zone substantially parallel to the crest of the bluff or hillside for the purpose of controlling drainage of the excess water accumulation. The horizontal wick drain is installed from the top surface of the bluff or hillside so as not to impair the structural integrity and cause land mass degradation of the face thereof. d to produce a first reference current; a second reference device constructed and arranged to produce a second reference current; a linear sensing device constructed and arranged to produce a measurement current indicative of a value to be measured; a current-to-frequency converter constructed and arranged to convert the first reference current, the second reference current, and the measurement current to their corresponding frequency; a multiplexer constructed and arranged to alternately couple said current-to-frequency converter to said first reference device, said second reference device, and said linear sensing device; a voltage-to-frequency converter; a voltage input on said voltage-to-frequency converter; a reference voltage output from said voltage-to-frequency converter; and a pair of resistors arranged to divide a reference voltage from said reference voltage output of said voltage-to-frequency converter; wherein: said current-to-frequency converter includes said voltage-to-frequency converter configured so that an output frequency of said current-to-frequency converter varies with the measurement current input into said current-to-frequency converter; said pair of resistors supply the reference voltage to said voltage input on said voltage-to-frequency converter; and said voltage-to-frequency converter provides a constant output voltage to said first reference device, said second reference device, and said linear sensing device based on the reference voltage. 2. The measurement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first reference device is a first reference resistor and said second reference device is a second reference resistor. 3. The measurement system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said linear sensing device is an RTD. 4. The measurement system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: a controller coupled to said multiplexer and coupled to said current-to-frequency converter. 5. The measurement system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said controller controls said multiplexer to alternately couple said first reference resistor, said second reference resistor, and said RTD to said current-to-frequency converter via said multiplexer and determines a self-calibrated temperature measurement of said RTD. 6. A method for measurement, comprising: connecting a current-to-frequency converter to a first reference resistor and measuring a first frequency output by said current-to-frequency converter; connecting said current-to-frequency converter to a second reference resistor and measuring a second frequency output by said current-to-frequency converter; connecting said current-to-frequency converter to a first linear sensing device constructed and arranged to sense temperature and measuring a third frequency output by said current-to-frequency converter; determining a first self-calibrated temperature measurement using said first frequency, said second frequency, and said third frequency; and measuring temperatures in a different temperature range than a temperature range associated with said first reference resistor and said second reference resistor, wherein the measuring of temperatures in the different temperature range includes connecting said current-to-frequency converter to additional reference resistors and measuring respective frequencies. 7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said current-to-frequency converter includes a voltage-to-frequency converter configured so that an output frequency of the current-to-frequency converter varies with a current indicative of the temperature to be measured. 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first linear sensing device is an RTD. 9. A method for measurement, comprising: connecting a current-to-frequency converter to a first reference resistor and measuring a first frequency output by said current-to-frequency converter; connecting said current-to-frequency converter to a second reference resistor and measuring a s