I-Corps: Commercialization of scour monitoring systems

研究人员正在研究一种全天候检测桥梁冲刷的技术。该系统利用传感器技术的进步，提供具有成本效益的桥梁冲刷早期检测，以及避免桥梁故障和相关成本的手段。冲刷传感技术使用埋藏在桥梁基础周围土壤中的磁致伸缩流量传感器。随着冲刷的发展和土壤开始侵蚀，传感器被激活，能够检测水流并自动警告桥梁所有者需要修复。在NSF支持下研究的宏尺度和纳米尺度磁致伸缩流体传感器是先进的流量传感器系统的基础，该系统正被用于提供稳健和连续的桥梁病害检测。冲刷监测是联邦授权的定期桥梁检查的一部分，但桥梁所有者通常没有足够的人力来每一两年检查一次整个桥梁库存。因此，冲刷可能在很长一段时间内不被发现，并发展为非常昂贵的甚至危及生命的问题。候选冲刷检测系统既可以提高公共安全，又可以为桥梁所有者节省成本。这是因为早期的冲刷检测可以显著降低维修成本，在严重冲刷的情况下，这可能涉及到完整更换桥梁的成本。一座正在经历或处于轻微冲刷风险的桥梁可能会关闭，从而对周围社区造成重大的经济影响。通常，解决中度到严重冲刷的方法是以高昂的成本更换一座原本坚固的桥梁。早期的冲刷可以花费几千美元来修复，但后期的冲刷可能需要数十万美元的修复费用，如果需要更换桥梁，则可能需要数百万美元。

Researchers are working on a technology for 24/7 detection of bridge scour. The system leverages advances in sensor technologies to provide cost-effective early detection of bridge scour and the means to avoid bridge failure and associated costs. The scour sensing technology uses magnetostrictive flow sensors that are buried in the soil around bridge foundations. As scour develops and the soil begins to erode, the sensors are activated and able to detect water flow and automatically alert the bridge owner that remediation is needed. The macroscale and nanoscale magnetostrictive fluidic sensors investigated with prior NSF support are the basis for the advanced flow sensors system that is being used to provide robust and continuous detection of bridge scour.Scour monitoring is a federally mandated part of regular bridge inspections but often bridge owners do not have sufficient manpower to inspect their entire bridge inventories more than once every year or two. Scour can thus go undetected for long periods of time and develop into very costly and even life threatening problems. The candidate scour detection system could both improve public safety and save costs to the owners of bridges. This is because the early scour detection can significantly reduce repair costs, which in cases of advanced scour, can involve the cost of a complete bridge replacement. A bridge experiencing or at risk of even moderate scour may be closed resulting in a significant economic impact on the surrounding communities. Often the solution to moderate to severe scour is replacement of an otherwise sound bridge at a significant cost. Early scour can be repaired at a cost of a few thousand dollars but late stage scour can cost a few hundred thousand to repair or millions if the bridge needs to be replaced.