Aug 9 2007
LifeSpan Technologies, an innovator of solutions for structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure, announces the availability of a White Paper that describes a reasoned path forward to restore our structurally deficient bridges, given the funding constraints expected for at least the next three decades. With other pressing Federal budget priorities, including Social Security, Medicare, and debt service, LifeSpan believes bridge owners must adopt more effective condition assessment technology to objectively identify which bridges must be fixed or replaced and to safely extend the life span of others.
For the 77,000 structurally deficient bridges in the U.S., visual inspection is the mandated condition assessment process for determining structural integrity. A 2001 FHWA study, evaluating the efficacy of visual inspection, concluded the process is subjective, variable, and non-repeatable. With these limitations, continued reliance on only visual inspection of structurally deficient bridges, is questionable.
"There is no reason for not using a more objective condition assessment technology to protect public safety and help financially strapped Transportation Departments stretch their limited funds," commented Peter Vanderzee, CEO of LifeSpan Technologies. "Every bridge that is classified as structurally deficient should have a technically appropriate structural health monitoring system deployed. Given the subjectivity and variability of visual inspections, monitoring structurally deficient bridges should be considered the minimum standard of care."
Using more objective long-term condition assessment technology is not new.
"LifeSpan Technologies and nPhase have been monitoring bridges and other structures together for several years," according to Steve Pazol, VP & GM of nPhase, a QUALCOMM (QCOM) business. nPhase serves as LifeSpan's Network Operation Center, and delivers tailored, enterprise-class Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Smart Service solutions to manage, monitor and control assets on a global basis.
Adopting structural health monitoring is the most effective means for DOTs, railroads, toll roads, counties, cities and other bridge owners to gather the crucial information on structurally deficient bridges to define safe operating parameters, more accurately diagnose structural deficiencies, and objectively plan and prioritize repair and replacement projects. Although necessary and relatively inexpensive, visual inspection simply is not objective, precise, or frequent enough to effectively manage structurally deficient bridges.
LifeSpan also cautions against quick fixes and short-term academic research monitoring programs.
"Short-term monitoring is not sufficient to capture all of the relevant data needed for condition assessment," notes Frank Wingate, LifeSpan's Chief Engineer. "LifeSpan's hardened, long-term sensors and systems, available now, have been successfully installed on structures, some continuously operational for over 36 months, 7x24, rain or shine, including Interstate highway bridges in the Northeast."