With infrastructure aging, technology is increasingly relied upon to assess the safety of bridges. Many places are finding that simple monitoring devices can help save money.
"A recent case study about a bridge in Monmouth County, N.J., illustrates how evolving bridge sensor technology now offers tools to far more accurately assess the structural health of existing bridges, and enables public officials to make more informed safety decisions about bridge capacity.
In effect, bridge sensor technology is a multistep process that begins with the creation of a 3-D structural model which takes into account the original design, and the accumulated modifications, repairs and upgrades made to the bridge over time, together with the areas of deterioration. Then strain sensors installed on critical structural members further refine the model. When the calibration is complete and the model confirmed as "true" to the real bridge, sequential tests with different types of loads provide data to tell engineers what the prognosis is with far greater accuracy."
Though some of the cost savings are small, the gradual upkeep of bridges rather than major overhauls helps to spread those costs over time and prevent dangerous accidents.
FULL STORY: Technology Tells Whether Bridges are "Dead or Alive"
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Massachusetts Gov. Makes Case for Road Funding Reforms
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Texas Infrastructure Gets a ‘C’
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
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Making Mobility More Inclusive
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Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service