Posted by Angela Miller on Mon, Jul 11, 2011
Digitexx was recently featured in a special news story entitled, "How Strong are the Foundations of Buildings in Skopje?" on ALFA TV Macedonia.
In cooperation with the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Faculty of Civil Engineering, Digitexx has been providing systems and expertise in building structural monitoring. Together with the University, buildings in the Balkan region have been instrumented with Digitexx accelerometers and our PDAQ-Premium for temporary monitoring to produce Ambient Vibration Reports. The Faculty of Civil Engineering produced these reports using the real-time data provided by the Digitexx system to report on the structural integrity status of the building. With recent higher magnitude earthquake activity, this region has been concerned about the structural integrity of recently retrofitted older buildings as well as construction quality of the newer buildings. The Ambient Vibration testing services have provided a method to determine structural integrity for earthquake preparedness of buildings.
News video was developed by ALFA TV Macedonia. Full story: http://vesti.alfa.mk/default.aspx?mId=36&eventId=38406
For more information on the PDAQ PREMIUM used in these services: 
Posted by Seema Patel on Tue, Jul 05, 2011
Digitexx Data Systems, Inc. launched REFLEXX Smart System for Buildings to provide engineers, business owners & managers with a tool for real-time monitoring, damage detection and performance evaluation reporting. REFLEXX offers detailed damage reporting in less than 15 minutes and promises to give you key information to protect your building's structural integrity. Since its launch REFLEXX has already sparked interest around the world!
Check out what top publications are saying about REFLEXX:
BUILDINGS, Helping Facilities Professionals Make Smarter Decisions
Continuity Insights
MHN Online, Multi-Housing News
Sustainable Facility, Your Environmental Source for Facility and Power Management
ThomasNet News, Connecting Industry
To learn more about REFLEXX:Smart System for Buildings or watch the REFLEXX introduction video, click here!
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Posted by Angela Miller on Wed, Jun 22, 2011
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REFLEXX Smart System for Buildings combines real-time data with structural algorithms to rapidly provide essential damage probability report data, enhance safety and minimize downtime.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ JUNE 14, 2011: Digitexx Data Systems, Inc. has launched REFLEXX Smart System for Buildings, a new damage detection and performance evaluation reporting system that provides essential structural health data in less than 15 minutes. REFLEXX is a turnkey solution that combines real-time data with sophisticated structural algorithms based on generally accepted engineering methodologies such as FEMA-356, HAZUS-MH, ASCE-41 and ATC-58 to provide detailed, actionable damage probability report data.
Measuring the structural integrity of a building following a seismic event is a critical precursor to enabling a building to re-open or begin repairs in a timely and cost-effective manner. However, the traditional methods of visually inspecting a facility – particularly during a post-event – can be both time-consuming and inconclusive.
Following an earthquake event, building owners, facility managers and structural engineers are confronted with many uncertainties – Is all or part of the building safe? Is it necessary to evacuate occupants? Can building occupants be allowed back into the building? Are ancillary but critical operations functioning effectively to support occupancy?
While issues of safety and security are paramount in the short-term, longer-term impacts on productivity and profitability are also critical.
Dr. Farzad Naeim, Past President of Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, the current President of the L.A. Tall Buildings Council and the Director of Research of John A. Martin & Associates explains that the current process of assessing a building’s health following extreme events such as earthquakes can take days, if not weeks.
“Building owners and managers are required to wait in line for their buildings to be visually inspected and tagged by city officials, or evaluated by an engineer in order to assess the status of their building,” said Dr. Naeim. “Even if you have an engineer in place before an extreme event happens, it may only reduce the wait time for a visual inspection and assessment from weeks to days. But many buildings need to make decisions within minutes.”
When an event occurs and sensor thresholds are exceeded, REFLEXX generates detailed analyses and reporting for the structural engineer to understand key building response parameters, including: accelerations, displacements, velocities, interstory drift ratios and story forces and shears. The smart system provides instantaneous information critical to assist in the building’s diagnosis and recovery plan. Within 15 minutes of an event, REFLEXX will send a detailed report describing the structural health of the building at the global, floor-by-floor, and even component level.
REFLEXX also allows the building to access a report with damage cost estimations and repair time expectations for various components down to the server, ceiling tile and HVAC systems. This data allows the building owner to make plans for re-occupation and repairs in a timely manner.
Digitexx CEO and president Mark Sereci said the affects of an earthquake event on buildings and other large structures are often difficult to detect yet must be assessed as quickly as possible. “Immediately following an earthquake, the people who are typically the most vulnerable are those in highrise buildings and building complexes, from hospitals and university dorms to office buildings and manufacturing operations,” said Sereci. “This situation places tremendous pressure on building owners and managers to make fast, accurate decisions. REFLEXX now gives them the tools to do that.”
Turnkey System
REFLEXX incorporates the onsite data acquisition hardware for local and remote broadcasting of sensor data, the sensors and cabling, and software licensing. The smart system also provides full installation and the retained services of a structural engineering partner. The REFLEXX system can also be customized to accommodate buildings where sensors and/or engineering services are already in place.
The system can be manually triggered to provide an on-demand building health assessment or will be automatically triggered by sensor threshold exceedance.
Reflexx was developed by Digitexx and John A. Martin & Associates as part of a collaborative effort.
For more information about REFLEXX Smart System for Buildings, call Angela Miller at 480-339-0472 or email angela.miller@digitexx.com
Posted by Seema Patel on Thu, Mar 17, 2011
On September 1, 2009 Digitexx signed a Business-Technical Cooperation Agreement with the Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology, IZIIS. In addition to the Director of IZIIS, Prof. Dr. M. Garevski and Digitexx’s CEO and President, Mark Sereci, the signing ceremony included the President of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Prof. Dr. Velimir Stojkovski, his VP Prof. Dr. Mome Spasovski, Mr. Thomas Navratil of the US Embassy along with two other high ranking officers, an official from the Republic of Macedonia’s Ministry of Education and Science and an official from the City of Skopje.
Digitexx CEO, Mark Sereci, stated, “This was a great honor and opportunity for Digitexx to formalize our cooperation and work with one of the top seismological research universities in Europe. By incorporating our expertise with the Institute’s work and research, we can continue to test and expand our software and hardware to incorporate new structural algorithms, sensor technology and civil engineering features to meet the needs of today’s market.”
IZIIS is part of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje,
Macedonia, UKIM. Their primary mission “has been to assist and supervise the post earthquake reconstruction, revitalization and development of the City of Skopje" (http://www.iziis.edu.mk/IZIIS.htm). They organize many applied and development research projects focused on the design and analysis of advanced civil engineering structures. IZIIS directly collaborates with national and international universities, other scientific institutions and the economic sector of the Republic of Macedonia in order to better scientific research within their Institute.
With the Digitexx European office location on IZIIS’s campus, Digitexx interacts daily with IZIIS’s experienced research and academic staff members and can work alongside IZIIS to test Digitexx products using their sophisticated testing equipment. In addition, Digitexx can work with IZIIS to incorporate Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) on some of their structural research 
endeavors. Most recently, Digitexx worked with the Institute to update the Ohrid Lake 3-D Array project that was originally developed in 1979. With Digitexx’s expertise and technology, the former cassette tape data accelerograph system was updated to a 24-bit digital system streaming data in real-time to remote locations across the world. This project was most recently presented at a Special Session at the 14th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering (14ECEE) hosted by IZISS in Ohrid this past August, 2010. (See more about this event.)
Mark Sereci continues, “Last year was proof of what our joint cooperation could accomplish with the efforts and success of the 14ECEE and the Ohrid Lake project. We look forward to continued joint success in 2011 and beyond.”
Posted by Seema Patel on Tue, Mar 08, 2011
Digitexx would like to introduce our new video collection, "Where in the World is Mark?". The collection features the travels of Mark Sereci, President and CEO of Digitexx Data Systems who is a frequent world traveler and almost impossible to keep track of! He is always on the move learning from and educating others about structural health monitoring… so much so, that often times we get asked, “Where in the world is Mark?” (so thanks to your inquisitive nature, we were inspired!)
Our first video post highlights Mark's trip to Chile. As you know, on February 27, 2010 Chile experienced a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake. Following that event, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, EERI, created a post-disaster team of experts to go to Chile for follow-up research and assistance. Mark Sereci was invited to join this skilled team as a part of the instrumentation team. Following his work for EERI, Mark brought along a Digitexx PDAQ Premium and worked with local experts to install it on a 16 story office/commercial building in Viña del Mar, Chile. The goal was to monitor the building, record, analyze and broadcast sensor data in real-time to assist in damage identification and localization due to the various aftershocks following the major earthquake in February.
This video series will be both informative and fun… very much like our central character, Mark Sereci. Make sure to follow us through RSS or one of our social media outlets to stay updated on all of Mark's exciting trips!
Click to see the Chile video
Posted by Seema Patel on Wed, Mar 02, 2011
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Digitexx is excited to introduce their newest reseller partner, Teknik Destek Grubu located in Ankara, Turkey.
Teknik Destek Grubu's expertise is in Data Acquisition Systems and Test Engineering, offering solutions for more than 50 technical universities of Turkey, under the brand of “TESTBOX”, especially for civil engineering tests primarily with a focus in Structural Mechanics Tests, Servo-Hydraulic Testing, Structural Health Monitoring, Modal Analysis and Seismic Data Acquisition. Based on their expertise to create custom solutions for their clients, Teknik felt that an expansion into representing Digitexx Data System products to the local Turkish market was perfect strategic fit to meet the growing local need for real-time Structural Health Monitoring. Teknik’s Group Coordinator, Sarp Dincer, explained, “Based on the seismic activity of the region, real-time structural health monitoring is increasingly required on civil and academic research projects here in Turkey. We felt that incorporating Digitexx’s solutions as a part of our product offering was a good fit for our clients. We are excited about the possibilities of this partnership.”
Mark Sereci, President & CEO of Digitexx added, "We are thrilled to partner with such a professional and skilled organization as Teknik Destek Grubu. Their knowledge of the local market and of NDE technology will further strengthen our product development and expansion to continue to evolve the benefits of real-time structural health monitoring for both short and long-term projects."
Teknik Destek Grubu will be providing product information, training and local support for the Digitexx product line including PDAQs, RTMS and RTMS Wallmount, Server and Client Software and sensors and accessories. For projects in Turkey, you can contact Teknik directly at: info@teknikdestekgrubu.com.tr
Posted by Seema Patel on Thu, Jan 06, 2011
The 14th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering was held at Ohrid Lake in the Republic of Macedonia from August 30-September 3, 2010. The conference was open to all scientists, engineers, professionals, governmental officials, NGO representatives and all individuals working in the field of earthquake engineering from around the world. This forum brought together current earthquake engineering ideas, research and the implementation of risk prevention technology for those seismically active zones.
Digitexx Data Systems was proud to be the Platinum Conference Sponsor for the 14th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering. Digitexx sponsored a Special Session on Real-time Structural Health Monitoring. The Special Session featured structural health monitoring projects in the US, Canada, Chile and Macedonia. Topics covered included: buildings, bridges and a 3D Dense Array in Ohrid, Macedonia. A live demonstration of the 3D Dense Array was also seen during the session.
Speakers Included:
- Dr. Farzad Naeim, John A. Martin & Associates, California delivered the session introduction and discussed new ATC findings on building fragilities and damage probabilities during an earthquake
- Dr. Zoran Milutinovic, Professor, lZllS Skopje, Macedonia presented the 3D Strong Motion Array, Ohrid Lake, Macedonia
- Dr. Rubén Boroschek Krauskopf, Professor at University of Chile reviewed the Maule M8.8 Earthquake in Chile and the effects on modern structures
- Goran Jekic on behalf of Dr. Mihail Garevski, Professor, lZllS Skopje, Macedonia presented on the definition of Dynamic Characteristics of a Reinforced Concrete Building in Vina Del Mar, Chile
- Dr. Mehmet Celebi, USGS Menlo Park, California discussed Real-time Systems and Needs in the US and Elsewhere
- Dr. Alex Pavic on behalf of Dr. James Brownjohn, Professor at University of Sheffield, UK presented on Structural Health Monitoring-A Prospective on this New Paradigm and the Benefits
- Dr. Carlos Ventura, Professor at University of British Columbia, Canada closed the session with a presentation on Structural Health Monitoring for Large and Small Bridges, MOT BC Program, Canada
Overall, the conference was a success. The community of distinguished speakers effectively displayed the benefits and need for structural health monitoring systems. Following the session, all attendees were able to experience the great culture and lifestyle of Macedonia with a special reception of Macedonian wines and foods of the region.
To view presentations or more information about the conference click on: 14ECEE.
Posted by Angela Miller on Mon, Dec 06, 2010
DIGITEXX CEO, MARK SERECI, WAS RECENTLY INTERVIEWED AND FEATURED IN AN ARTICLE IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING & DESIGN TALKING ABOUT STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING FOR BRIDGES.
Mark Sereci recently worked with Structural Engineering & Design who developed an article for their Bridge Design section. Article author, Pamela Accetta Smith, featured industry experts discussing the progression of Structual Health Monitoring for bridges.
One of Mr. Sereci's quotes included,
"Domestically, the demand for SHM of bridges is starting to rise. However, there are still a lot of questions and schools of thought. On one side of the country, seismic activity is calling for a global approach to monitoring and measuring the overall performance of the bridge through a predominant use of accelerometers. On the other side of the country, more challenge and focus is around aging infrastructure, hence more use of strain gages. Both schools of thought are correct, so there is need for a system that can adjust to the demands of the region, bridge type, and potential structural challenges.”
To read the complete article, click on the icon:
Posted by Angela Miller on Wed, Sep 08, 2010
A new series of webisodes is being launched to help answer some of your questions about Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) System Products. Get your free SHM Product Guide today.
Click the button below to "Ask Digitexx Jane" your questions about Structural Health Monitoring.
Posted by Angela Miller on Wed, Aug 18, 2010
Scottsdale, AZ (USA) and Neuchâtel (Switzerland), August 17, 2010: Digitexx Inc and Colibrys SA announced today the successful results of an innovative mobile Structural Health Monitoring system deployed since March in a newly constructed building in Vina del Mar, Chile. The system has 16 Colibrys MEMS based accelerometers embedded throughout the building to monitor the integrity of the building structure during ongoing construction these past months.
The Digitexx PDAQ (Portable Data Acquisition System) is an all-inclusive, fully-portable, battery or AC power operated 16 channel system with integrated hardware and software to measure, record, broadcast and analyze building dynamic response. The system is used for Structural Health Monitoring. Real-time streaming acceleration data is provided both locally as well as remotely via a proprietary Client Software transmitted via the Internet. When an event happens, such as an earthquake or an aftershock, and any pre-set thresholds are surpassed, an email alert goes out. To date the system has recorded 100’s of aftershocks.
Digitexx was invited by EERI (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute) to participate on the Instrumentation Team of the Earthquake Reconnaissance in March following the 8.8 magnitude in Chile late February. While on location, Digitexx brought a PDAQ to instrument a building with a common architectural design to most urban commercial/residential space in Chile. In a matter of hours, the system was installed and fully functioning and continues to run today. Data is now being viewed and analyzed locally in Chile as well as by earthquake and structural engineering institutions in the United States and throughout the world.
“We are extremely proud to provide a tool for the benefit of earthquake engineering research”, stated Mark Sereci, CEO of Digitexx. “The rapid deployment of a portable, Structural Health Monitoring System has enabled post earthquake construction to proceed with knowledge despite repeated aftershocks. The system provides building structural engineers with real-time data to compare to their calculations of the building’s key parameters (natural frequency, modes, damping, etc.). In addition, the multiple remote-access Clients have allowed visibility to real-time data and analysis across the globe which can prove an invaluable aid in the development of future seismic building codes”.
The Colibrys CEO, Sean Neylon, was proud to state “We are excited to be a part of a system and project that provides such important data in our global quest to learn how to save lives when natural events such as earthquakes take place. The MEMS Seismic sensors incorporated into the accelerometers have confirmed once again their value as highly robust, high sensitivity, low current solution to help feed Building Monitoring systems. We are extremely proud at Colibrys in leading the world in the design and fabrication of MEMS Seismic sensors. Most of all we are extremely pleased to see our products used for the benefit of the Chilean people who continue to endure such extremely difficult times”.
Further information:
Digitexx Data Systems Inc: Founded in 2000, Digitexx was the first company in the industry to develop real-time Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems for a variety of structural applications including: bridges, buildings, dams, wind turbines, oil rigs and more. Digitexx's innovative and low-cost real-time Structural Health Monitoring systems assist engineers with non-destructive testing and early structural damage detection. When a natural or man-made event happens and a pre-set threshold has been triggered, the Digitexx Structural Health Monitoring system sends out an alert to designated parties providing them with immediate information to assist in rapid emergency response as well as repair and maintenance planning. Ultimately, Digitexx solutions help arm our customers with the tools and information to make informed decisions quickly. For more information and to view our introductory video, go to www.digitexx.com.
Colibrys SA: Colibrys is a world-leading supplier of standard and semi-custom MEMS based motion sensors to the harsh-environment (Military, Aerospace and Energy) and safety critical (Industrial and Instrumentation) applications. Colibrys has the full breadth of Microsystems capability, undertaking design, development, wafer fab manufacture, packaging and test of hybrid MEMS components. Additional information is available at www.colibrys.com.