Safety First: Tamil Nadu Government To Monitor Structural Health Of Bridges In Real Time Through Sensors

Tamil Nadu’s public works department will be installing sensors on river-bridges to monitor their health in real time, The New Indian Express has reported.

The first sensor based monitoring system will be fitted on a bridge across the Adyar river in Ekkatuthangal by the month of January. This bridge was constructed in 1993.

The move to collect data on the stability of bridges is a part of the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiative (TANII) scheme implemented by the quality assurance and research wing of state highways. Chief Engineer of the quality assurance and research department, V Geetha told The New Indian Express that the project would help in assessing possible damage to a bridge and take retrofitting measure.

Currently, the state highways department identifies damages through visual and physical inspection. But the defects in structure cannot be detected at all critical locations cannot be examined. Five different types of sensors will be deployed to collect data at critical locations of the bridge. The sensors will observe and transmit data related to the thickness of the structure and the physical damage to the bridge.

The state has 8639 major and minor bridges. Bridges having a length of over 60 metres are classified as major bridges. The lifespan of major bridges is estimated to be 70 to 100 years.