Vibration Monitoring and Geo-Structural Consulting

Distinct Engineering Solutions, Inc., (DESI) incorporates science and technology into the design and installation of monitoring instruments. These services are routinely provided to protect and document that assets are not damaged during any nearby construction activities. Our Structural, Geotechnical and Environmental Instrumentation Services provide data that help engineers in every stage of a project ensure the quality of life is maintained and not compromised.
We specialize in delivering managed monitoring solutions, customized to your exact specifications. Based on our extensive experience, we will guide you through your design options to help you select the most appropriate system, highlighting the differences between various monitoring methods, as well as the cost implications. We provide our clients with experienced monitoring engineers for the duration of a project, on a full or part-time basis.
We also provide automated monitoring systems. These typically involve data being collected through cellular or GPS connections. Data can be transmitted to a web-based monitoring system which allows for easy handling of complex data.

Our instrumentation services include:

  • Deformation Monitoring
  • Monitoring System Design and Integration
  • Pore Pressure Measurements
  • Pre- and Post- Construction Survey
  • Real-time Groundwater Monitoring
  • Remote Video Surveillance
  • Settlement Monitoring through Survey or Automated Total Stations
  • Stress Monitoring
  • Tilt Monitoring
  • Vibration Monitoring
  • Web-Based Remote Monitoring System Development

Reconstruction of Belt Parkway Bridges Project

NYCDOT contracted with Tully Posillico Joint Venture (TPJV) to complete the demolition and reconstruction of three new bridges. The project would incorporate demolition and complete reconstruction of the Paerdegat, Rockaway, and Fresh Creek bridges. DESI was retained by TPJV to develop a Geotechnical Instrumentation and Monitoring Plan. Using a unique automated monitoring technique that sends real-time alarms and notifications to project engineers corrective actions could be taken almost immediately. DESI installed prisms, tilt meters, seismographs and piezometers to monitor ground and structural settlement, tilt and vibrations, and groundwater levels; and provided weekly and monthly reports. DESI’s approach helped the client to reduce the construction duration by 6 months.
Awarded: American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of NY 2015 “GOLD AWARD”

#7 Subway Line Extension Site K

MTACC has undertaken the project of extending the #7 Subway Line along the west side of Manhattan. The MTA retained Scalamandre Oliveira JV (SOJV) for construction of the Ventilation Building and Reconstruction of 11th Avenue and West 36th Street at Site K. DESI developed the Structural Monitoring and Noise Control Plans, installed real-time monitoring equipment on the adjacent Jacob Javits Center, performed baseline noise/air/vibration monitoring and developed site-specific limits and submitted weekly and monthly reports.
Awarded: American Council of Engineering Companies of NY 2015 “DIAMOND AWARD”

PANYNJ Substation 7 Project

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) awarded a contract to Kiewit Infrastructure Co. (KIC) and Mass Electric Construction Co. (MASS) to construct a replacement for Substation No. 7, which includes the construction of a new two story steel framed building; furnishing, installing and commissioning of three 2000kW power rectifiers and associated equipment. Distinct Engineering Solutions, Inc. (DESI) was retained to perform Geotechnical and Structural Monitoring and Quality Control inspections. DESI’s scope of geotechnical instrumentation included establishing baseline readings prior to the commencement of construction activities to serve as initial reading for future comparison as well as collecting, interpreting and reporting data per project specifications and making suggestions to implement a plan of action in the event instrument readings exceeded predefined response value. DESI’s in-house AASHTO-accredited concrete and soil testing laboratories performed concrete cylinder compressive tests, grout cube compressive tests, and performed soil gradation analysis. DESI also provided qualified quality control personnel for concrete, rebar, steel, and bolting inspections in accordance with the applicable standards and specifications.

LIRR MLJ Project

Distinct Engineering Solutions, Inc. (DESI) provided silica and dust monitoring services for the LIRR Hall Interlocking Expansion – MLJ Project, located near Jamaica Station in Queens, NY. As part of the project’s environmental compliance, DESI conducted baseline and active air sampling during demolition activities involving concrete structures. Utilizing real-time dust monitors, personal air sampling pumps, and upwind/downwind background setups, DESI ensured continuous tracking of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure. All samples were analyzed by EMSL Analytical, Inc. using NIOSH 7500/OSHA ID142 methods, confirming concentrations were well below OSHA PELs. DESI’s work helped maintain a safe work environment and regulatory compliance through accurate field documentation, lab-certified reporting, and coordination with MLJ and LIRR teams.

Pelham Former MGP Site, Corrective Action Project

Posillico Environmental was retained by ConEdison to perform remedial action at the former Pelham MGP site in Pelham, Westchester County, NY. Remedial action required the construction of a jet-grout barrier wall underneath the existing sheet pile barrier wall that enclosed the site. The jet-grout barrier wall was extended from the tip of the sheet pile wall to the top of bedrock. DESI developed a Structural Instrumentation and Monitoring Plan for the gas main pipe and trestle structure and utilized an automated monitoring system that sent real-time alarms and notifications to project engineers.

Metro North Railroad Embankment Structural Monitoring

Kiewit Infrastructure Company (Kiewit) was retained by Metro North Railroad to stabilize an embankment along the Hudson Line, where tracks sit on a thin, rocky ledge in the region just north of Peekskill, NY. DESI provided Kiewit with services to furnish, install, maintain and monitor instrumentation through-out the duration of construction. Using settlement monitoring points and In-Place Inclinometers, as well as a Web-Camera to monitor construction, DESI successfully implemented the complex real-time monitoring system to provide timely warnings and help Kiewit avoid construction delays.