Many bridges across North America are reaching the end of their service life due to fatigue and construction errors. Despite the fact that there are a large number of structures that require crack monitoring, the high cost of available sensors prohibits project managers and maintenance personnel from using them frequently. As a result, there is an urgent need for a cost-effective method for detecting bridge girder cracks that is reliable, cost-effective, and easily installed.
In this project, a new crack sensing system based on a simple electronic circuit is presented. When a crack on the structure reaches a sufficient width, wire glued to structure surface breaks and electrical current cuts off. It was crucial to have an efficient design for the testing platform to experiment with different wires and glues. A wire and bonding system capable of detecting cracks of 0.2mm was achieved.
Publication:
Publication: Raeisi, F., Mufti, A., Saboktakin Rizi, B., and Thomson, D., âCrack Detection in Steel Girders of Bridges Using a Binary Sensorâ, 2015