Abstract: A system to measure the installation torque of a screw pile comprises machinery suitable to drive the screw pile into the ground, said machinery further comprising a rotary drive suspended by means of a universal joint-type coupler. A load pin, having at least one sensor, is mounted through the universal joint-type coupler as a pivot pin and is oriented within the universal joint-type coupler so that at least some of the installation torque is transmitted through said load pin and is measurable by said at least one sensor. Preferably, a differential bridge network is used to obtain a measurable signal from the plurality of sensors.
Abstract: A system to measure the installation torque of a screw pile comprises machinery suitable to drive the screw pile into the ground, said machinery further comprising a rotary drive suspended by means of a universal joint-type coupler. A load pin, having at least one sensor, is mounted through the universal joint-type coupler as a pivot pin and is oriented within the universal joint-type coupler so that at least some of the installation torque is transmitted through said load pin and is measurable by said at least one sensor. Preferably, a differential bridge network is used to obtain a measurable signal from the plurality of sensors.
Abstract: A load pin having a pair of opposing pockets milled a certain distance from the pin's surface, but not extending through the pin. A strain gauge sensor is mounted within the each pocket to measure force. In one embodiment differential bridge network is used to obtain a measurable signal from the strain gauge.