Challenge
Monitoring the structural health of cable-stayed bridges requires a sophisticated network of sensors to detect structural changes, measure performance, and evaluate safety. Traditional methods, which rely on wired networks, are costly and time-intensive to install, particularly for large structures. To ensure bridge safety, many types of sensors must work together to capture tension in cables, as well as monitor pylons and deck stability. This setup must also recognize any structural changes to preempt potential issues. However, building and maintaining a wired network for such a wide array of sensors is expensive, complex, and less efficient for long-term monitoring.
The key challenge here was to create a robust wireless solution capable of reliably capturing and processing this data while reducing the cost and complexity associated with wired installations.
Solution
Dongil Engineering Consultants Co. is attempting to address the above issues by developing an intelligent wireless sensor network through seamless integration with TEKTELIC's KONA Macro IoT Gateway. It is an innovative LoRa-based solution for long-distance communication of sensor nodes without extensive wiring, capturing key data points from relevant structural elements, such as tension in bridge cables, environmental impact, and load stress, and sending data to the cloud for real-time analysis. The TEKTELIC KONA Macro IoT Gateway was chosen for its durability and high performance in outdoor environments. With its robust design, this gateway can be deployed directly on bridge structures, providing consistent and reliable connectivity. Dongil’s smart nodes, combined with the KONA gateway, support continuous data transmission for accurate, long-term monitoring.
This wireless setup not only simplifies deployment but also enhances data management capabilities, making it easier to identify damage locations and assess overall structural health. By providing real-time, actionable insights, this solution enables bridge operators to make proactive maintenance decisions to ensure long-term bridge safety.
Key Benefits
- Cost efficiency: a reduction of over 50% in wired network installation and maintenance costs by their replacement with wireless systems.
- Improved monitoring: this involves the exact, continuous monitoring capability with wireless sensors and a LoRaWAN gateway such that changes in structure in their incipiency, which might affect the integrity of a bridge, may be determined.
- Remote accessibility: the KONA IoT Gateway allows engineers to take note of bridge conditions remotely to reduce on-site bridge inspections and allow quicker response times.
Results and Impact
Therefore, this wireless SHM solution has revolutionized the monitoring of bridges by offering a much more cost-effective alternative, outperforming the traditional wired system. The capability of the system for real-time monitoring of the developed vibrations, environmental influences, and load stress will provide the bridge operators with relevant data on how to maintain safety and optimize maintenance. This SHM innovation is a benchmark in civil engineering for being scalable and sustainable in managing infrastructure across many sectors.
By combining TEKTELIC’s robust wireless technology with Dongil Engineering's smart sensor system, this partnership has set a new standard in infrastructure monitoring, ensuring safety and reducing costs for future bridge projects.