Roctest launches SHMLive structural health monitoring solution to improve the safety of major public and private infrastructure

    Real-time monitoring service will alert owners of structural risks and
    enable them to deploy resources where they are most needed

    ST-LAMBERT, QC, July 22 /CNW/ - Roctest Ltd ("Roctest") (TSX: RTT), a
leading designer and manufacturer of high-precision sensors for the civil
engineering market, today announced the launch of SHMLive, a new and
innovative web-based solution to monitor the health and status of
infrastructure projects. Offered as a complete turnkey solution for a fixed
monthly fee, SHMLive can save both up front capital costs and ongoing
maintenance and repair costs for the owners of bridges, tunnels, high rise
buildings and other infrastructure.
    "SHMLive offers a choice that has not previously been available in the
marketplace," said François Cordeau, President and CEO, Roctest.
"Traditionally, infrastructure owners have had to pay the full cost of a
monitoring system at the outset, and then concern themselves with managing and
interpreting the endless flow of data generated. With SHMLive, they can
achieve superior monitoring capability and ease of adoption, with more
predictable impact on their budgets. For Roctest, it means the visibility and
stability of a recurring revenue model, whereby we will provide a
comprehensive monitoring solution at a fixed monthly fee."
    SHMLive deployments will make use of the full range of available
monitoring technologies. With more than 60 years of experience instrumenting
complex structures worldwide, Roctest is the only company that can seamlessly
integrate traditional vibrating wire instruments, fiber optic based sensors
using five different technologies, concrete corrosion sensors, and any type of
electrical sensors into a fully automated data acquisition system and
integrated database while displaying the data in real-time anywhere in the
world through its secure web site www.shmlive.com.

    SHMLive Description

    SHMLive deployments will begin with Roctest working with the
infrastructure owner to identify specific objectives and design a customized
monitoring system. Roctest will then install, operate and maintain the system
providing a guaranteed service level. All data will be automatically
transferred to Roctest's secure online database where the data will be
displayed in real-time on the SHMLive secure web site. With the support of
selected local engineering partners, warning and alert limits can then be used
to trigger the agreed upon protocol. All the instruments and sensors currently
offered by Roctest and its subsidiaries integrate seamlessly in the SHMLive
solution, as do third party traditional electrical sensors.

    SHMLive Benefits

    A 2008 U.S. Department of Transportation report found that 24% of the
nearly 600,000 U.S. bridges were structurally deficient or functionally
obsolete. This classification is based on visual inspection only and cannot
fully capture hidden structural defects or capacity reserves. To monitor these
assets becomes an enormous task for any organization if one only considers the
amount of data generated by the monitoring sensors. SHMLive will behave the
same way as a regular house security system, providing an alert whenever
unusual behaviour is detected. Being an exception-based system, SHMLive does
not require an army of engineers to continuously monitor the data, allowing
smaller organizations with less resource to finally provide surveillance of
critical structures. The same benefits will apply in Europe and Asia where
aging infrastructures are a fact of life. Roctest is partnering with certified
engineering firms worldwide to provide value-added services; however, the
owner can also select its preferred engineering firm to analyze its data and
recommend actions.
    By understanding the static and dynamic behaviour of a structure, the
owner can set priorities for maintenance and repairs, resulting in improved
safety for its users and, in many cases, safely extending the life of the
infrastructure with limited or no interventions. For large organizations like
Departments of Transportation (D.O.T.) in the U.S. responsible for thousands
of structures, the ability to assess and extend the useful remaining life of a
structure will result in positive Return on Investment (R.O.I.) by
prioritising rehabilitation efforts and optimizing the associated maintenance
budget.
    In the case of a high-rise building, SHMLive will provide instantaneous
feedback on its health following an earthquake. For aging underground
infrastructures like parking lots and tunnels, SHMLive will detect, in
real-time, minuscule movements indicative of more serious issues. For
geotechnical applications, SHMLive will provide a simple and cost-effective
means of distributing measurements and alerts to all stakeholders involved in
a construction project.
    By offering this service based for a monthly fixed fee, Roctest provides
infrastructure owners an affordable way to monitor these assets compared with
the large capital expenditure that has historically been required, resulting
in additional flexibility for owners to monitor more structures.
    "Roctest will also continue to offer its complete portfolio of products
in the same way we have for the last 60 years, targeting the large civil
engineering projects and the continued surveillance of infrastructures by
providing custom solutions using standard products. SHMLive will complement
our offering by providing a value-added option to our customers who prefer a
turnkey solution. The new service will be offered by all Roctest Group
companies, including Roctest, Smartec and Telemac," concluded Francois
Cordeau.
    For more information on SHMLive, please visit www.shmlive.com.

    About Roctest Ltd

    Roctest designs, manufactures and markets sensors and high-precision
measuring instruments for the civil engineering market with applications in
the energy, healthcare and process control industries. The Company is
recognized for its leading-edge technology, the quality of its technical
expertise and its product development capabilities for challenging and
demanding environments. Its products are mainly sold internationally. The
shares of the Company are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the
symbol RTT. To reach Roctest Ltd via the worldwide web log on to
www.roctest.com.

    Caution concerning forward-looking statements

    Except for historical information provided herein, this press release may
contain information and statements of a forward looking nature concerning the
future performance of the Company. These statements are based on suppositions
and uncertainties as well as on management's best possible evaluation of
future events, and as such involve a number of risk factors. Such factors may
include, without excluding other considerations, risks related to foreign
exchange fluctuations, evolution in customer demand for the Company's products
and services, the impact of price pressure from competitors and general market
trends, as well as economic and geopolitical changes. As a result, readers are
advised that actual results may differ from expected results. The Company does
not update or revise publicly its forward-looking statements, except as may be
required under applicable law.

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For further information: François Cordeau, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Roctest Ltd., (450) 465-1113, (450) 465-1938 fax, Email:
info@roctest.com; Jeff Codispodi, Investor Relations, The Equicom Group Inc.,
(416) 815-0700 x 261, (416) 815-0080 fax, Email: jcodispodi@equicomgroup.com