STC In The News

Harrisonville, MO installs high-water warning system from STC

TEMPE, AZ - 05/07/2008 - Located about 30 minutes southeast of Kansas City, Harrisonville has installed a high-water warning system for the Commercial Street underpass, which is occasionally flooded. City Engineer Ted Martin located STC via the internet and requested a proposal for a system which could alert motorists in case of a flood. While Harrisonville is not a large community, Commercial Street is a busy thoroughfare. Traffic flow on the street includes large trucks which may have difficulty turning around or backing up if the street is flooded.

The city chose to deploy a distributed system solution to warn motorist of problems at the underpass. At the low point of the underpass is a solar-powered sensor station (STC PN 80SHW040XT) which includes a solar power system; control logic for the high-water sensors; redundant high-water sensor units located in the base of the pole with cabling; and a license-free radio link to the slave units. The city also chose to include a wireless alarm card function which provides a computer-generated message: a fax message and a series of e-mails to all parties requiring notification when high water is detected. Upon receipt, the local police department, sends officers to barricade the road and set up an alternate route for motorists.

In advance of the underpass are radio-activated, solar-powered warning flashers with a single 12-inch amber DC LED lamp. The flashers include radio receivers, control logic with LCD screens and are part of the XSR line from STC. The XSR logic devices contain proprietary software that includes screen messages for system status. The system is self-restoring: When the water drops to a safe level for a pre-determined time, the flashers will turn themselves off.

STC president and chief engineer, Joe Wise was present for the installation and provided on-site instruction and training for the Harrisonville public works personnel involved in the project. The flashers were assembled and planted on site on the first day of the installation, the sensor station was also assembled and then installed and operational by 2 p.m. the following day. Figure 1 shows the sensor station assembly in the underpass and Figure 2 shows the southbound flashing beacon assembly.

 

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