Skip to main content

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

  • Navigating a path towards greater safety
    May 31, 2013
    Eric Sampson takes a look at why the European Union’s eCall system is taking rather longer to arrive than it should. There’s an old story about the person who asked an Irishman for directions and after much thought he responded: “If you’re going there from here it would be better to start from somewhere else.” This came to mind when I was recently reflecting on eCall and wondering when it will come - some stakeholders say the answer is never. So despite years of workshops and discussions, eCall is still not
  • Nema's updated signage standards are key to managing the variables
    June 7, 2024
    National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s revision of standards relating to variable message signs will help to improve interoperability and reflect changes in vehicle technology
  • Growing use of PC-based systems for urban traffic control
    February 1, 2012
    Siemens Mobility's Mark Bodger discusses the growing use of PC-based systems for urban traffic control. Across the ITS sector, there is a common trend of taking traffic and travel management out of the hands of bespoke solutions, realising the use of common, open-source technologies and solutions and enjoying all the attendant economies of scale and ease of use which that implies.
  • Developments in security for wireless communications networks
    July 20, 2012
    David Crawford looks at new developments in security for wireless communications networks. Wireless communications - including mobile phone links - are well recognised as a key transport technology. They are low-cost, easily installed, well supported by the wider IT industry and offer the protocols of choice for much metropolitan area networking on which transport applications can piggyback.