Extreme heat, wildfires, flooding from torrential downpours, and violent hurricanes and storm systems test the stability and resiliency of the nation’s bridges, highways, and dams.
In the U.S., organizations like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are tasked with protecting critical infrastructure against severe weather threats. But even before considering the potential impacts of violent weather, the general state of the U.S. civil infrastructure is concerning. About 1 in 3 bridges either need repairs or need to be replaced, according to a 2024 American Road and Transportation Builders Association report. U.S. highways currently have $1 trillion in needed repairs. And more than 4,000 dams are in poor or unsatisfactory condition.
As a result, the pervasive view is that the U.S. infrastructure is not adequately prepared to withstand severe weather and other meteorological challenges, putting the arteries we rely on to connect with one another at greater risk of failure and collapse.
The continuous monitoring of structures for vibrations, changes in tilting, and gauging the impact of temperature on the integrity of a structure will harden and protect civil infrastructure amid environmental threats and avert catastrophes that can cost both lives and billions of dollars.
Relying on human structural engineers to conduct this level of monitoring on a continuous basis is simply not feasible and would be incredibly costly, especially considering the number of critical structures at risk across the country. There is also the challenge of determining who among the many companies involved in design, construction, and maintenance assumes responsibility for ongoing structural monitoring.
This is why structural engineers, safety consultants, and any organization responsible for civil infrastructure safety must more readily embrace and deploy technologies that can heighten resilience and reduce the risk of failures.
Today, advancements in IoT (Internet of Things) technology makes this possible. Using a series of connected sensors and devices that can capture and transmit data via software systems and applications, engineers can receive continuous data flows and monitor the stability of structures from afar, receiving alerts of any dramatic or worrisome changes and deploying teams to where repairs are needed most.
For example, a tiltmeter can be deployed to conduct 3-axis inclination monitoring of bridges, highways, or skyscrapers susceptible to strong winds, measuring the relative changes in inclination on the ground or in the structures themselves. When combined with existing geospatial monitoring, the collected data can offer detailed information on even the highest fixed structures, ground movements, and differential settlements in slopes or infrastructure.
Flood monitoring systems, which combine water level sensors and weather stations with a central connectivity hub, can be used to accurately monitor water level parameters, which can prevent travel routes from being impacted by surface-level floods. Accessible through a visualization platform, the continuous flow of data allows engineers to set alerts, receive notifications when thresholds are reached, and provide timely and detailed information to local communities under threat when unexpected events occur.
And any vibrational effects to buildings can be measured by using a wireless vibration sensor featuring a 3-axis MEMS accelerometer, capable of recording data up to 1000 Hz from a 4k Hz signal. The sensor’s configurable settings allow it to meet different state regulatory standards, helping to support safety protocols and enabling timely evacuations in emergency situations.
Historically, infrastructure maintenance has been reactive in nature. Crews are typically deployed in the field only after an urgent situation arise or, sadly, after a failure has occurred. As weather events continue to stress the nation’s aging infrastructure, those urgent situations are likely to increase in volume. IoT technologies can help engineers and safety consultant identify deficiencies in real time, before failures happen. ■
About the Author
Kelsey Kidd is North American Sales Director for Worldsensing, a provider of IoT solutions for monitoring critical infrastructure.