Smart, efficient infrastructure …
Every day, Americans travel on roads, bridges and highways without considering the safety or reliability of these structures. Yet much of the transportation infrastructure in the U.S. is outdated, deteriorating and badly in need of repair.
Click to download 3-page report card (PDF)
https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Bridges-Final.pdf
39% of the 614,387 bridges in the U.S. are older than their designed lifetimes, while nearly 10% are structurally deficient, meaning they could begin to break down faster or, worse, be vulnerable to catastrophic failure.
The cost to repair and improve nationwide transportation infrastructure ranges from nearly US$190 billion to almost $1 trillion. Repairing U.S. infrastructure costs individual households, an average of $3,400 per year. Traffic congestion alone is estimated to cost the average driver $1,400 in fuel and time spent commuting, a nationwide tally of more than $160 billion per year.
The Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technology Purdue (SMART) Lab TEAM is led by Luna Lu, Founding Director-Center for Intelligent Infrastructure-Purdue University, ACPA Scholar, Professor–Lyles School of Civil Engineering, and School of Materials Engineering (courtesy appointment), and Birck Nanotechnology Center-Purdue University; and co-author, Vishal Saravade, Post-Doctoral Scientist-Lyles School of Civil Engineering-Purdue University, to research and develop new technologies to make American infrastructure “intelligent”, safer, and more cost-effective with the SMART Lab. These new systems self-monitor the condition of roads and bridges quickly and accurately and can sometimes even repair themselves.
Sensors installed on Indiana interstate I-74 and
Self-healing concrete test study—cracked concrete (left) and self-healed concrete after 28 days (right). Click to go to article.
Smart, self-healing concrete—Infrastructure—bridges, highways, pavement—deteriorates over time with continuous use. However, the life of structures could be extended if damages were monitored in real time and repaired early on. For example, in the Northern U.S., freeze-thaw cycles in winter cause water to seep into the pavement where it freezes, expands, thus enlarges cracks, causing significant damage. If left unrepaired, this damage may propagate and break down pavements and bridges.
VIDEO cells: 1. Installing sensors embedded in concrete—can signal the health of roadways.
2. Interstate 465 where sensors are installed 3. The Purdue engineering lab has installed smart technology in three Indiana interstate highways. 4. The astonishing properties of absorbent polymers. Click to go to Manufacturing NET Online article to view the videos.
But, this damage can be identified and repaired autonomously at an early stage of a crack, as self-healing pavement:
—Activates super absorbent polymers, absorbing water
—Produces concrete-like material that fills in the crack
—Prevents or delays the later stages of the freeze-thaw cycle
—Thus heals the concrete and prevents significant damage
Roadway technology:
Many researchers in the world are working on improving construction infrastructure. Technologies recently being explored include:
—Solar and energy-harvesting roads
—Charging lanes for electric vehicles
—Smart streetlights
—Reducing carbon-related emissions from construction materials
Interstate highways:
The Purdue SMART Lab Team is also testing novel sensors that monitor transportation infrastructure by embedding them in several Indiana interstate highways. The plan is to expand to other state highway systems in the next few years with a goal to better accommodate increased traffic and provide accurate estimates of road conditions during construction and its life. How sensors in pavements work:
Sensors embedded in concrete pavement:
• Acquire information about the infrastructure’s health condition in real time
• Communicate the data to computers
• Electrical signals are applied through the sensors
• Concrete’s vibrations are converted into electrical signals that are read and analyzed by lab-built customized software
• Transportation engineers are able to make effective and data-driven decisions
—opening roads to traffic
—proactively identifying issues that cause damage or deterioration
Example of highway pavement:
After concrete is poured for highway pavement, it takes hours to cure and become strong enough to open for traffic. Curing concrete for massive highway projects requires close attention by engineers in conjunction with the weather specific to that region. The timing of when to open a highway depends on when the concrete mix is cured:
Too early opening the road:
—Concrete is undercured
—Pavement life expectancy shortened
—Maintenance costs increased
Too long to open a road:
—Traffic delays
—Congestion
—Increased safety risks for construction workers and commuters
Smart sensors and intelligent infrastructure system can enable significant savings in time and money with improved construction safety. Sensors can provide engineers with real-time data of the quality of our infrastructure to make the best decisions for building and maintaining roads, bridges and pavements, while improving safety for drivers and construction workers. The addition of self-repairing properties can help build sustainable and long-lasting infrastructure to reduce maintenance and costs.
Smart SENSORS embedded in concrete:
—Enable engineers to monitor the infrastructure
—Enable engineers to make data-driven decisions about when a road can open while retaining maximum life expectancy
—Monitor the quality of concrete
—Monitor whether concrete is robust enough to withstand traffic flow and corrosion after a roadway is opened
—Can significantly reduce structural failures—both catastrophic and through normal wear
—Lead to reduced costs
—Provide new ways for structural engineers to assess real-time information about the pavement
Saving time and money: Congress recognizes the need to invest in American transportation systems. The INVEST In America Act is a $494 billion legislation package that was recently introduced to address America’s deteriorating highways and bridges while diminishing carbon pollution.
To read the 2 original Manufacturing NET Online articles & view 2 videos:
“Smart Concrete Could Pave the Way for High-Tech Cost-Effective Roads”, please go to: www.theconversation.com/smart-concrete-could-pave-the-way-for-high-tech-cost-effective-roads-141350
Finance and Commerce Online News article titled “Paving the way for high-tech, cost-effective roads”: www.finance-commerce.com/2020/11/paving-the-way-for-high-tech-cost-effective-roads/
THE CONVERSATION online News article titled “Smart concrete could pave the way for high-tech, cost-effective roads“: www.theconversation.com/smart-concrete-could-pave-the-way-for-high-tech-cost-effective-roads-141350?fbclid=IwAR2t4JNU-100TqMEp6LI3YWFfS-IUoakEWXw91LpmXbC005iX3GKCROyZWQ
Infrastructure REPORT: The tech solution to deteriorating roads and bridges: www.nzherald.co.nz/business/infrastructure-report-the-tech-solution-to-deteriorating-roads-and-bridges/WJVM2MT3VHXQ7ZO2NJLP5J5XSQ/
“Support Infrastructure” website: https://www.infrastructureusa.org/the-interstate-highway-system-turns-60-challenges-to-its-ability-to-continue-to-save-lives-time-and-money/
American Road and Transportation Building Association (ARTBA) website: https://www.artba.org/government-affairs/policy-statements/highways-policy/
Home photo by The Conversation Online News: The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco averages more than 100,000 vehicles daily