The new fischer SensorBolts were installed into a radio relay tower in Frauenkirchen for the very first time. The powerful bolts with integrated force measurement and transfer technology allow the status of the fastening points to be monitored remotely at all times. A pilot test will gather data on the fischer innovation installed in the tower over the coming months. SensorBolts are the new addition to the fischer Construction Monitoring portfolio, which consists of sensor-integrated fischer products such as the SensorAnchor anchor rod and the SensorDisc washer.
A radio relay tower measuring 52 m in height was built as a replacement on the site of the transformer station in Frauenkirchen in the Austrian state of Burgenland by Netz Burgenland GmbH. The steel construction supplied and assembled by Unger Stahlbau was built as a frame screwed together up to a height of 42 m, with the upper segments welded together. Selected joint connections along the radio relay tower were equipped with the innovative fischer SensorBolts for the first time on 26 June this year.
These powerful screws equipped with integrated force measurement and transfer technology by fischer allow the status of the fastening points to be monitored remotely at all times. “What’s special about this product is that applying the sensor doesn’t change the mechanical properties of the screws”, says Dr Daniel Rill, Product Manager at the fischer Group of Companies. “This allows it to be used in pre-stressed areas without restrictions”.
A stable, durable and smart structure was thereby created with the screw-connected frame construction. This allows the forces acting on the screw connections to be monitored remotely and precisely at all times – a considerable advantage with fastening points that are hard to reach. The data of fischer’s sensor-integrated fastening products can be accessed remotely or through a web application. Users can monitor the safety of their fastenings at all times and from anywhere using a PC or smartphone. The pilot project in Frauenkirchen provides added insights into the long-term behaviour of screws under real conditions. fischer Construction Monitoring solutions increase the maintenance efficiency of structures and facilities, provide added safety, reduce downtimes and prolong their service life.
The company Unger Ges.m.b.H. (Oberwart) identified four representative connecting points on the radio relay tower in Frauenkirchen and prepared them for the application of the SensorBolts. Like all screw connections, the sensor innovation by fischer was particularly quick and easy to install. Georg Zaiser, Sales Manager at fischer’s subsidiary in Austria, accompanied the steel construction fitters together with the fischer Construction Monitoring experts Alexander Schmehlik and Dr Daniel Rill during the on-site installation and commissioning of the screw monitoring system, which will gather data over the coming months during the pilot project.
