Sandia National Laboratories along with U.K health sensor manufacturer Structural Monitoring Systems recently equipped an American suspension bridge with eight sensors, which will alert maintenance engineers to cracks or when repairs are needed.
The Comparative Vacuum Monitoring sensors, which include eight vacuum pumps to create the vacuum, were placed 100 feet above the deck on truss welds. They are made of Teflon and powered by solar charged, lithium-ion batteries.
When a crack forms, a vacuum no longer can be made. The system detects cracks as small as a dime and autonomously texts or calls engineers via a wireless transmitting device.
They are designed to be used near welds and joints.
“Areas that are difficult to access or things that are remotely located like bridges, pipelines and other critical structures present significant challenges to properly monitoring the health of the structure or equipment,” Dennis Roach, Sandia senior scientist, said. “A network of structural health monitoring sensors could be a solution, or at least help ensure the necessary vigilance over these components.”
The vacuum pumps are turned on using a control system that also can be used to check the sensors.
Sandia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.