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Wireless Sensors Can Broadcast Alerts on Failing Bridges

DEC 11, 2012
Engineer-developed smart sensors aim to prevent future bridge collapses.
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Wireless Sensors Can Broadcast Alerts on Failing Bridges

Get Inside the Science:

Fatal 2007 Bridge Collapse Spurs New, Affordable, Instant Warnings

Wireless Monitors Could Warn of Bridge Dangers

Report Card for America’s Infrastructure

Inside Science Buzzwords:

  1. Wireless sensor - A device that sends and receives data through transmissions of radio waves or other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
  2. Bridge - A structure built to offer a path that avoids an obstacle such as a body of water or existing roads.
  3. Structural health - A phrase used to describe the overall condition of a structure such as a bridge, in relation to its ability to perform its desired functions, such as enabling cars to cross safely, and its resilience against hazards such as wind and weather damage over its normal expected lifetime.
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