The University of Michigan has been received a $19 million federal grant to create a sophisticated bridge monitoring system that will incorporate many different sensors along with wireless reporting to a centralized inspection site. The intent is to combine sensors that would detect corrosion, cracks and the effect that heavy trucks have on the span.
A highlight of this research is a carbon nanotube “sensing skin” that would be glued or painted to the surface. A low-voltage current running through the skin will be able to detect changes in the surface based on fluctuation in electrical resistance. Another rolling sensor on board a truck would offer details of the spans reaction to the shifting weight of a heavy load, details that currently aren’t measurable.
Learn more about this National Institue of Standards and Technology-funded project here.
