Stress or accumulated damage monitoring system

A monitoring system implemented on a drill having a mast lockable into at least a vertical position and pivotable on a fixed support about an axle by operation of mast raising cylinders;

• the monitoring system comprising:
• a plurality of strain gauges each gauging strain at one of a plurality of corresponding strain gauge locations on at least the mast, the plurality of corresponding strain gauge locations including locations predicted to fail in one or more of a range of operating states or adapted to predict failure in another location in one or more of the range of operating states;
• a data acquisition unit that acquires real-time strain data from the strain gauges and from pressure gauges and position or orientation gauges;
• a processor and memory programmed to process:
• any acquired real-time strain data from the strain gauges to calculate one or more measures of actual instantaneous stress or accumulated damage;
• and
• at least the acquired real-time strain data from the strain gauges and from the pressure gauges and position or orientation gauges to determine a real-time operating state of the drill, and adapted to determine real-time information derived from the real-time operating state;
• at least one output device, at least one of which provides information comparing the one or more measures of actual instantaneous stress or accumulated damage with corresponding reference values of maximum allowable stress or accumulated damage, and to provide the real-time information derived from the real-time operating state;
• and
• wherein the real-time information derived from the real-time operating state comprises a warning when one of the measures of actual instantaneous stress or accumulated damage exceeds or approaches a corresponding reference value.