Dangerous gas detector boosts brownfield building

One of the main problems in developing disused brownfield sites is the risk from the underground accumulation of dangerous gases. Now an invention from a university company that monitors the deadly gas methane lingering in earth pockets could lead to much more building on old factory or industrial sites.

The Gasclam monitor is being developed by a company called Salamander that was founded by lecturer Dr Stephen Boult and spun out of the University of Manchester, northern England, in 1996.

The monitor has won the Innovation Technology prize in the Northwest Business Environment Awards 2007. Measuring 600 mm long and 45 mm wide, it is designed to sit inside small boreholes on potential development sites and provide constant monitoring of harmful gases, such as methane, that can cause explosions.

The monitor improves on existing assessment technology by allowing continuous collection of information about the movement and build-up of underground methane.

The system has the ability to transmit measurements using GPRS technology, allowing those doing the monitoring to collect an array of data without making repeated visits to the site.

Until now, the available equipment has only allowed periodic measurements to be taken. Boult says this approach could be restricting the development of brownfield sites.

For example, one-off periodic measurements may show a constant concentration of methane in a certain area that may stop construction taking place.

But through continuous monitoring the Gasclam may reveal the methane production is actually low and the gas protection measures needed are minimal, meaning the site can be considered for development.

Project coordinator Dr Peter Morris is also working to develop a sound methodology for Gasclam's use that will reduce uncertainty in the prediction of gas migration and lead to further optimisation of remediation strategies for brownfield sites.