Bridge condition sensor

LifeSpan Technologies, a specialist in advanced structural condition assessment solutions for civil infrastructure, has announced the commercial availability of its newest PeakStrain sensor, allowing rapid and accurate evaluation of bridge conditions after a seismic event.
February 6, 2012 Read time: 1 min
2269 LifeSpan Technologies, a specialist in advanced structural condition assessment solutions for civil infrastructure, has announced the commercial availability of its newest PeakStrain sensor, allowing rapid and accurate evaluation of bridge conditions after a seismic event.

Visual inspection techniques have been used to assess the condition of bridges for decades, both in the US and many other countries. However, engineers in the US and Japan know that visual inspection is subjective, highly variable, and not sufficiently reliable for long-term bridge management. It is also slow and can be costly if bridges have to be visually inspected after each seismic event.

LifeSpan's new extended range PeakStrain sensor will be used by Japan Railways on the Shinkansen, a vital link across the country, to monitor lateral displacement of bridge members as a result of seismic activity. The device will allow Japan Railways to quickly determine if Shinkansen bridges can continue to be used or must be shut down to protect passengers and railway equipment.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Creating safer roads with vehicle communication
    March 26, 2013
    Accurate, timely information which eliminates the need to brake quickly when approaching a work zone or other road hazard could prevent crashes and save lives, according to research by the University of Minnesota. Thanks to research by the University of Minnesota, this vision is closer than ever to reality. “In the past fifty years we’ve made great strides in reducing traffic fatalities with technologies that save lives in crashes, like airbags and seat belts,” says M. Imram Hayee, electrical and computer e
    Read More
  • ASECAP examines tolling’s trials, tribulations and triumphs
    September 4, 2018
    If you want to get up to speed on the main issues facing the transport sector and tolling companies, ASECAP Study Days event in Ljubljana was a good place to start. Colin Sowman reports (Photographs: Louis David). Increasing populations, ever-higher technical and safety requirements, and electric and hybrid vehicles will provide both challenges and opportunities for tolling companies. The annual Study Days event organised by ASECAP (the European association for tolling companies) examined all of these aspec
    Read More
  • Rhode Island RhodeWorks plan opposed by ATA
    May 29, 2015
    Rhode Island government (RIDOT) has introduced its RhodeWorks plan, designed to address the state's crumbling transportation infrastructure. Rhode Island ranks 50th out of 50 states in overall bridge condition and has lost 1,200 in the construction sector over the past three months. RhodeWorks is focused on solving these two problems at once.
    Read More
  • The role of GIS in climate change resiliency
    May 29, 2014
    Climate change will pose global and local challenges and that includes risks to the transportation infrastructure. Climate change adaptation and resiliency has captured the attention of the transportation community for some time now. Because transportation infrastructure is often designed to last for 30, 50, or 100 years or even longer, transportation professionals are concerned not only about the impact on our existing investments, but also how to design more durable transportation systems for the future
    Read More

Highlighted Content