James Instruments Inc. announces the release of the Aquaprobe™ Basic System

James Instruments Inc. announces the release of the Aquaprobe™ Basic System.

To compliment the already successful Aquaprobe™ soil moisture measurement equipment, James Instruments Inc. has release a more economical basic system. This system comes calibrated for standard soil types only.

James Instruments Aquaprobe™ Soil Moisture Measurement System

Chicago, IL, USA December 15th , 2010 - James Instruments Inc. manufacturer of the world's most advanced Non Destructive Test Equipment for construction materials officially announces the release of the Aquaprobe™ Basic System. To compliment the already successful Aquaprobe™ soil moisture measurement equipment, James Instruments Inc. has release a more economical basic system. This system comes calibrated for standard soil types only. This gives the customer a lower cost alternative, while still providing the same high quality proven technology to soil moisture measurement.

Central to the improvement of the concrete infrastructure are tools that evaluate the condition of existing construction. Destructive and non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques are applied. Destructive tests can provide direct information, but are relatively expensive, time-consuming and cause damage to the structure. Destructive test results often cannot be evaluated using statistical approaches because the number of locations in the structure that can be tested without damage to the structure is limited. On the other hand, NDT techniques are relatively inexpensive to apply, and they can detect, localize, and characterize flaws and damage in concrete structures without leaving any undesirable discontinuities or causing damage to concrete members.

Soil moisture measurement is a critical component in a large number of industries. Most importantly it is a vital parameter in agriculture to help control irrigation. It is also critical for the agriculturalist to determine timing of planting, and harvesting. Soil moisture is also critical for civil engineering and foundation work. As the density of soil is closely related to the soil moisture civil engineers depend on this knowledge for the safety of the structures they design.

To determine the soil moisture content previously would require either an oven or hazardous chemicals to remove the water. The remaining material was then analyzed and the water content was then determined.

The James Aquaprobe™ represents a break-through in modern moisture measurement technology. By utilizing the latest microwave and microprocessor technology, the Aquaprobe™ can determine the soil moisture content of different types of soils and other fine aggregate. Simply insert the five prongs in the soil to be measured and review the percentage moisture on display. A special guide is supplied to assist the user with inserting the prongs in particularly dense soil.

The Aquaprobe™ Basic System uses a five prong sensor to measure the complex dielectric constant of the material encompassed by the outer four prongs. As the dielectric constant of water is four to eight times greater than most natural soil types, changes in water content directly affect the sensor output. This output is then converted by the integrated microprocessor and moisture content is displayed directly as a percentage of dry weight. An average of five to ten readings is normally taken in order to ensure a valid reading, especially as water does not distribute itself evenly for many types of materials.

The basic unit comes pre-calibrated for Lean Clay, Silt, Sand (Ottawa Sand and SP sand) and general type of Silty Sandy soil. These soils represent the most commonly found types. This makes the basic unit the economical choice when evaluating soil moisture content.

For More information regarding this or other non destructive testing equipment for construction materials you can visit www.ndtjames.com or email [email protected] or [email protected].