ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 10 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers are testing a network of wireless sensors that can detect damage to bridges, buildings, roads and other structures instantly.
The researchers, at the University of Michigan and Stanford University, have found that a wireless network of 14 sensors performed as well as traditional cabled-based monitoring systems.
They tested both systems simultaneously on the Geumgang Bridge in Incheon, South Korea. Based on preliminary results, the researchers said, the wireless sensors are potentially much less expensive, more functional and take less time to install and maintain.
The sensors also can detect damage that is not clearly visible, such as internal cracks, if they disrupt the sensor array's electric current.
The wireless network on the bridge took just one hour to install, compared with an entire day for its cable-based counterpart. The battery-powered sensors are about as big as a deck of cards and cost about $100 each, or $1,400 for the entire system, compared to $10,000 to $15,000 for the cable-based sensor network.
The researchers said wireless monitoring systems eventually could render obsolete the practice of sending engineers inside possibly unsafe building to assess damage after earthquakes.
The full test results will be presented later this month at the International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability in Rome.
