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Sliding Inclinometer

A smart, Bluetooth-enabled portable deep-displacement monitoring system. One operator surveys a 30 m borehole in 5 minutes — international-grade accuracy in a 7.5 kg package.

SCIS SERIES · CLASS A / CLASS B

SCIS sliding inclinometer system: probe, control cable and Bluetooth cable reel

Overview

Measure deep horizontal displacement, distributed by depth

The SCIS sliding inclinometer measures how the horizontal displacement of subsurface soil or structures is distributed with depth. A proprietary auto-measurement mode, smart Bluetooth-app interaction and real-time cloud sync completely reinvent the traditional two-person survey workflow.

✓
Single-operator surveys
Proprietary auto-measurement mode: a 30 m borehole in 5 minutes.
✓
Bluetooth app + cloud sync
Data flows from field to cloud in real time — zero manual handling.
✓
Built for harsh sites
IP68 stainless-steel probe rated to 3 MPa (300 m water depth).

0.005 mm

Resolution / 500 mm

≤±1.5 mm

System Accuracy / 30 m

IP68 · 3 MPa

Ingress Protection

80 h

Battery Life

Measurement principle

How a Sliding Inclinometer Works

The casing is permanently installed in a vertical borehole through the zone of expected movement, with its bottom keyed into a stable stratum as the datum. The probe's gravity-referenced MEMS accelerometer reads the inclination θ at every 0.5 m step; summing each segment's horizontal component from the bottom up rebuilds the full displacement profile.

The probe slides up the grooved casing in 0.5 m steps; each segment contributes a horizontal offset L·sin θ, summed from the bottom datum into the profile D(z). Probe tilt exaggerated for clarity.

1
Pass 1 — A0 direction
The A-axis positive guide wheels run in the A0 groove; reading bottom-up at every 0.5 m records R_A0 = sin θ + b, where b is the sensor's zero offset — from residual assembly stress, circuit bias and temperature drift.
2
Pass 2 — rotate 180°
The probe is withdrawn, rotated 180° about its axis so the same wheels run in the A180 groove, and the survey is repeated: R_A180 = −sin θ + b.

−
Subtraction cancels the zero offset
(R_A0 − R_A180) / 2 = the true sin θ — the zero offset b cancels exactly. That is why both passes are mandatory on the first, baseline survey: a missed reverse pass locks the drift into every later result.
+
Addition yields the checksum
R_A0 + R_A180 = 2b ≈ 0. The checksum distribution is reviewed before data is delivered: |checksum| < 0.5 mm/m passes; values persistently above the threshold flag instrument zero drift — recalibrate the probe rather than trust the curve.

Data output

Curves You Can Act On

After each survey the app jumps straight to plots and data: the casing profile, change versus the baseline and the previous survey, and the checksum distribution — all reviewed on site before the data ships to the cloud.

Representative cumulative-displacement profile of the kind produced in the Xinghu Street CX34 same-borehole validation (37 m borehole, half a month of surveys). Axes are unitless for illustration.

✓
Casing profile
Cumulative offset (mm) against depth (m). First check: is the overall shape smooth, with no sudden jumps? A jump usually means a depth was recorded wrongly — check the cable depth markings.
✓
Cumulative & incremental change
Offset change relative to the first survey reveals displacement trends; change versus the previous survey shows the short-term rate. Overlaying successive surveys shows whether movement is still growing — the key call for early warning, and a way to locate the sliding surface.
✓
Checksum distribution
Checksum (mm/m) against depth. Before any report is delivered the whole hole should sit within ±0.5 mm/m — the checksum identifies instrument anomalies before they contaminate the displacement record.

Specifications

Two Classes, One Standard of Quality

Class A serves high-accuracy rail-transit and major energy projects; Class B provides a high-value configuration for routine foundation-pit and slope monitoring.

Parameter	Class A High-Precision (SCIS Series)	Class B Standard (RCIS/SCIS 20xx)
Sensor	MEMS accelerometer	MEMS accelerometer
Resolution	0.005 mm / 500 mm	0.01 mm / 500 mm
Repeatability	±0.003°	±0.006°
System accuracy	≤±1.5 mm / 30 m	≤±2.0 mm / 30 m
Range	±30° / ±15°	±15° / ±30°
IP rating	IP68 · 3 MPa	IP68 · 3 MPa
Battery life	80 h	60–80 h
Operating temperature	-20 ~ 70 ℃	-20 ~ 70 ℃

Four Components — Carried in One Hand

1 · Probe

MEMS-sensor probe handles data acquisition in a stainless-steel body.

2 · Control Cable

0.5 m positioning rings provide precise, repeatable depth positioning.

3 · Bluetooth Reel

Built-in 7.4 V lithium battery enables fully wireless transmission.

4 · Mobile App

Android app for processing, on-site plotting and cloud sync.

Proprietary technology

Auto-Measurement Mode: Just Pull the Probe

The traditional workflow needs two people and 15–20 minutes per borehole. SoilCreate reinvents it — start the app once, then never touch the phone again.

1
Launch auto-measurement in the app
One tap on an Android phone starts the session.
2
Software auto-detects stability
Lower the probe to depth; stability confirmed when 3 consecutive readings differ by <0.02 mm.
3
Auto-record + voice prompt
Once stable, data records automatically and the voice prompt says "Pull now."
4
Pull detection
Raise the probe 0.5 m — a >0.1 mm change is auto-recognized as a pull, and the next point begins.
5
Repeat to the top — hands-free
The operator never touches the phone until the survey is complete.

SCIS sliding inclinometer probe, control cable and Bluetooth reel for auto-measurement

Field workflow & quality control

The Complete A0 + A180 Survey, Step by Step

Both passes are mandatory on the first, baseline survey — and the app walks the operator through every step, from Bluetooth pairing to the on-screen checksum.

1
Power on & pair
Switch on the reel (green power indicator), launch the app on the Android terminal and connect to the Bluetooth device whose RTI-prefixed name matches your instrument — a steady blue light means connected.
2
Open the project, enter the A0 groove
Tap Measure to open or create the project. Slide the A-axis positive guide wheels into the A0 groove and lower the probe to the starting depth — the cable marking must match the depth shown in the app.
3
Survey the A0 pass, bottom-up
At each 0.5 m station, wait for the reading to stabilize, record, then pull to the next depth until the probe reaches the top. In auto mode the software detects stability and each pull for you.

4
Rotate 180°
Withdraw the probe and rotate it 180° about its axis so the A-axis positive wheels enter the A180 groove; lower it back to the starting depth.
5
Survey the A180 pass
Start the 180° series. The app now shows the live checksum — the A0 + A180 sum, ideally ≈ 0 — beneath each reading as you repeat the pass to the top.
6
Review plots before leaving site
The app jumps straight to the plots-and-data screen. Check the checksum distribution and profile curves on site; the survey syncs to the cloud automatically.

Five Checks Before Every Survey

1 · Serial-number match

Probe and Bluetooth-reel serial numbers must correspond one-to-one — never mix sets.

2 · Top screw

Don't over-tighten the probe's top screw — it damages the cable connector and shortens O-ring life.

3 · Guided in & out

Use a hand to guide the positioning wheels as they slide into and out of the casing grooves.

4 · Gentle to the bottom

Lower with care so the probe never strikes the casing bottom.

5 · Temperature window

Keep the ambient temperature within −20 to 70 °C.

Quality gates

Checksum |A0+A180| < 0.5 mm/m; same-depth repeatability < 0.3 mm/m; cumulative curve smooth with no jumps.

Bluetooth control reel with built-in lithium battery and docked probe — Bluetooth control reel (built-in lithium battery) with the probe docked on top.

Stainless-steel spring-loaded guide-wheel carriage of the probe — Stainless-steel guide-wheel carriage — the wheels ride in the casing's orthogonal grooves.

Stainless-steel probe bodies with positioning wheels — Stainless-steel probe bodies; positioning-wheel centre spacing 500 mm.

Benchmarked

Head-to-Head with the Industry Benchmark

In a same-borehole comparison at Xinghu Street CX34 (37 m borehole, half a month of testing), SoilCreate's cumulative-change curve closely matched the reference instrument throughout the test period.

Dimension	SoilCreate SCIS	Reference Instrument
Readout device	Smartphone app	Dedicated readout unit
Operators	1 person	2 people
Time per borehole	5 min / 30 m	15–20 min
Data transfer	Bluetooth → cloud, real-time	Manual export
System weight	7.5 kg	~15 kg
Accuracy validation	Xinghu St. CX34 same-borehole match	Industry benchmark

-50%

Labor Cost

One operator replaces a two-person crew.

3×

Survey Efficiency

5 minutes vs. 15–20 minutes per 30 m borehole.

Manual Data Handling

Field → cloud with zero touch, eliminating transcription errors.

CX34

Field Validation

Same-borehole field comparison with closely aligned curves.

Track record

Proven Across Benchmark Projects

Metro

Suzhou Metro Line 6

Jinchu Street Station — wall inclinometer monitoring with manual comparison.

Metro

Guangzhou Metro Line 13

Shangyong Park Station — foundation-pit monitoring, cross-validated against in-place data.

Metro

Hangzhou Metro Line 3

Chaowang Road Station — emergency-response monitoring with automated verification.

Hydropower

Baihetan Hydropower Station

Deep-displacement measurement of surrounding hillsides at a 300 m-class world-scale project.

Benchmark test

Xinghu Street CX34, Suzhou

Same-borehole comparison with a reference instrument, with closely aligned data over half a month.

Geohazard

PetroChina Pipeline, Nanning

Geohazard landslide-body monitoring along an operating pipeline corridor.

FAQ

Sliding Inclinometer FAQ

Is the SCIS compatible with inclinometer casing I already have installed?

Yes. The SCIS runs in any standard 70 mm internal-diameter, four-groove PVC/ABS inclinometer casing. The 70 mm casing with four orthogonal grooves and 500 mm wheel spacing is an international common specification — not a vendor-proprietary format — so probes and casings from different manufacturers are interchangeable.

How do I choose the control-cable length for deep boreholes?

The standard configuration ships with a 50 m cable, suited to routine foundation pits. We recommend 80 m for deep pits and retaining walls and 100 m for dams and slopes; longer lengths are custom-built — up to a 180 m cable proven in a 180 m-deep hydropower borehole. For deep holes and long-term programmes, also stock spares: a backup reel, two guide-wheel kits (wheels wear faster in deep holes), O-rings and cable connectors.

What should I do when the checksum is abnormal?

The checksum (A0 + A180) should stay within ±0.5 mm/m. If most points in a hole exceed it, the probe's zero position has drifted — the instrument needs calibration or service, and persistent exceedance means a metrology-institute recalibration before further reporting. If repeated readings at the same depth differ by more than 0.3 mm/m, also check the guide wheels, springs and cable contacts. A sudden jump in the cumulative curve usually points to a wrongly recorded depth — verify the cable depth markings.

Readings take a long time to stabilize, or auto mode saves points by mistake — how do I fix it?

Both are threshold settings in the app's measurement-control menu. If readings won't stabilize (an over-strict threshold or probe disturbance), relax the measurement-precision parameter from the default 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm. If auto mode mis-saves during normal stabilization, the auto-measurement change threshold (default 0.2 mm) is set too small — increase it to a moderate value.

How long does the battery last, and what if Bluetooth won't connect?

The Bluetooth reel's built-in lithium battery supports 80 hours of continuous operation; charge it through the charging port on the reel panel, and charge whenever the red battery indicator lights. If Bluetooth won't connect: confirm you selected the device with the RTI name prefix matching your instrument, shorten the distance, check the reel's battery, and re-pair — a steady blue indicator means connected.

How should the probe and cable be maintained — and when must the probe go back for recalibration?

After the last survey of the day, wipe the probe and cable dry and keep the cable connector dry; lubricate the positioning wheels with a few drops of light machine oil (never chlorine-containing solvents), grease the connector O-rings, clean contacts with an alcohol swab rather than electrical contact cleaner, and store the system in a dry place. Send the probe for metrology-institute calibration when the checksum persistently exceeds 0.5 mm/m. On a water-ingress alarm, stop using the probe immediately, replace the O-ring and have the unit inspected after drying — never just wipe it dry and continue.