The technology already exists to take care of this problem. The issue is the slowness of our government to implement change (and especially embrace new technology). Fiber optic sensors can already determine in real time changes in stress, pressure, humidity, temperature, etc. Osmos-group in France has already installed this technology on 550 projects worldwide including 23 in the U.S. The cost less than $50k per bridge and $50k/year for monitoring. This is far less than the cost of sending teams of engineers to "tap" every nook and crany of our bridges every 2 years. The best part is it's real time not a "snapshot" once every 2 years. Bridges have collapsed hours after inspection teams pronounced them sounds (Montreal Sept 30, 2006).
Not really. Engineering inspection data is valid only the minute the team completes the job. We know nothing about the condition of a structure the minute after they have left. A great example happened in Montreal last September 30 (2006). The bridge was inspected in the morning (ater a report of a fallen piece of concrete) and deemed "sound." Two hours later the bridge collapsed. Sadly, there were casualties and people perished. Real time monitoring is the only solution for priorotizing maintenance and warning the public.
www.osmos-group.com
This French company already has fiber optic remote real-time monitoring on 550 structures around the world. There is no reason to wait for something else to be invented. It's been installed in the Eiffel Tower, the Leuvre, the Manhattan Bridge, 3rd Ave Bridge, a NYC subway tunnel, damns, tall buildings (that are a bit tilted), etc
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The technology already exists to take care of this problem. The issue is the slowness of our government to implement change (and especially embrace new technology). Fiber optic sensors can already determine in real time changes in stress, pressure, humidity, temperature, etc. Osmos-group in France has already installed this technology on 550 projects worldwide including 23 in the U.S. The cost less than $50k per bridge and $50k/year for monitoring. This is far less than the cost of sending teams of engineers to "tap" every nook and crany of our bridges every 2 years. The best part is it's real time not a "snapshot" once every 2 years. Bridges have collapsed hours after inspection teams pronounced them sounds (Montreal Sept 30, 2006).
Not really. Engineering inspection data is valid only the minute the team completes the job. We know nothing about the condition of a structure the minute after they have left. A great example happened in Montreal last September 30 (2006). The bridge was inspected in the morning (ater a report of a fallen piece of concrete) and deemed "sound." Two hours later the bridge collapsed. Sadly, there were casualties and people perished. Real time monitoring is the only solution for priorotizing maintenance and warning the public.
www.osmos-group.com This French company already has fiber optic remote real-time monitoring on 550 structures around the world. There is no reason to wait for something else to be invented. It's been installed in the Eiffel Tower, the Leuvre, the Manhattan Bridge, 3rd Ave Bridge, a NYC subway tunnel, damns, tall buildings (that are a bit tilted), etc