Infrastructure condition warnings possible from research project

Advanced research could provide warnings as to damage to infrastructure. The research project has been carried out jointly by the National Physical Laboratory and University of Strathclyde. This uses mathematical techniques to provide early warning signals of structural damage in civil megastructures. The technique uses tipping point analysis to review data from structural health sensors on civil constructions, identifying early warning signs of upcoming damage. According to the research partners, this is f
November 18, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Advanced research could provide warnings as to damage to infrastructure. The research project has been carried out jointly by the National Physical Laboratory and University of Strathclyde. This uses mathematical techniques to provide early warning signals of structural damage in civil megastructures. The technique uses tipping point analysis to review data from structural health sensors on civil constructions, identifying early warning signs of upcoming damage. According to the research partners, this is far more effective than the current method of on-site checks by eye. This technique could shift structural health monitoring to being preventative rather than reactive, and could be of great benefit to the construction industry. A good example of where early warning techniques could have helped is with the 20 day Forth Road Bridge closure in 2015. Instead of causing long periods of delays, the issue could have been spotted far earlier and dealt with before it required such extreme action.

The method is reported in a paper; ‘Tipping point analysis of cracking in reinforced concrete’. And the system is is about to be tested on steel beams, taking the mathematical theory and applying it to real life. The aim from this is to develop hardware and software products that, together with existing sensors, will provide a rapid and automated means of monitoring the health of civil and construction projects throughout their lifetime.
Road Structures

Related Content

  • Act FAST when it comes to bridge maintenance, argues Cliff Weston
    February 27, 2017
    Deck waterproofing remains critical to a bridge’s structural integrity for its design life, explains Cliff Weston, director of Stirling Lloyd To properly maintain deck waterproofing there must be a willingness to look at solutions based on whole-life costing rather than just short-term initial costs. There are lessons to be learned from examples of prematurely failed infrastructure due to a focus on initial short-term costs.
    Read More
  • Using technology so assess road surface quality
    April 4, 2014
    Advances in survey technology and the evolving face of road procurement are driving demand for highway condition data. Mark Thomas, infrastructure services manager at Fugro Aperio writes how surveys of new roads can improve long-term quality While a growing suite of non-intrusive testing, measurement and survey technologies are widely used to target highway repairs and to determine asset management strategies, the use of these powerful tools remains patchy in the early stages of the infrastructure life cycl
    Read More
  • New equipment for materials testing
    January 13, 2014
    Leading formwork manufacturers have secured some impressive contracts in Africa, as the continent’s transport infrastructure continues to improve at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, other bridgework equipment companies are also seeing their products in demand in Africa, as well as North America and Australia. Guy Woodford reports
    Read More
  • The use of concrete cutting tools and tips for users
    October 8, 2015
    Despite the proven importance of identifying metal targets and electrical lines before cutting into concrete, every day there are stories about mishaps that happen when the necessary reconnaissance is not done. In this article, a few firms that provide concrete scanning services weigh in on the critical importance of locating embedded and or buried obstructions by scanning for these features using ground penetrating radar (GPR). Also offered are tips for selecting the best GPR equipment and best practices f
    Read More

Highlighted Content