Bridge Technology (IMAGE)
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The Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation has been awarded US Commerce Department funding toward a $17.9 million project aimed at improving bridge maintenance and safety. Funding from the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology will cover $8.8 million of the project. The agency made the award through its Technology Innovation Program, which provides cost-shared funding for innovative, high-risk research in technologies that address critical national needs. Between 50 and 85 percent of bridge maintenance costs go toward repair or replacement of bridge decks -- the surfaces vehicles travel on. The technologies that CAIT is developing will help highway crews detect flaws in bridge decks at an early stage, often before they would show up in traditional inspections. They also will address ways to quickly and economically repair flaws, such as small cracks, while they are still minor, reducing later need for expensive bridge deck rehabilitation or replacement. The technologies also will give highway crews an idea of how bridge deck deterioration is affecting the performance of other bridge components, such as beams and supports. This will help highway authorities take steps to extend bridge life and maintain safety.
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Carl Blesch
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