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Application of web based GIS technologies for remote health monitoring of highway infrastructure
Mohammed Abdussamad Siddiqui Research Associate, Artificial Intelligence Center College of Engineering Osmania University, Hyderabad abdussamad@starmass.net
Highway Infrastructure Monitoring
In the last decade, great strides have been made all over the World, in the field of Highway infrastructure health monitoring. In particular, the application of latest technology, involving a variety of sensors – strain gauges, optical fiber sensors, data acquisition cards, computer based data analysis, has increased. This indeed is an advancement when compared to the conventional “Visual inspection method” commonly in use, for Highway infrastructure monitoring. However, in many a countries, the inability to adapt to modern technologies, has more to do with the available resources than, the inertia against a change. In developing economies, technological advances may not go out of academic corridors, workshops and conferences, unless they are economical enough, to what ever prevailing methods that exist. Interestingly, in these countries, the only time a new technology is used is when ever it is indispensable and dictates the use, irrespective of the enormous costs involved. Zero-Health Monitoring The concept of zero - health monitoring, is useful to emphasise the widespread practice in the field. Zero-health monitoring of infrastructure is said to prevail when there is no monitoring of strength status of an infrastructure. In practice, the frequency of highway infrastructure monitoring may vary to a great extent. However, it tends to be more towards zero-health monitoring than total-health monitoring. The risk factor in zero-health monitoring of infrastructure is high. The longer the deterioration, the more expensive will be the maintenance cost of a structure. An economical monitoring system would result in early detection of an impending structural damage, if followed up by preventive maintenance programme, it results in economical gains thus ensuring healthy and safe infrastructure. Hence, any attempt, development, innovation, that raises the status of the prevailing infrastructure health monitoring system is bound to have a wider acceptance in developing and under-developed nations. Also, it adds to a lot of economic saving. Status of Remote Infrastructure Health Monitoring Remote infrastructure monitoring as a decision making tool exists. The term Geoengineering1 is applied to infrastructure life cycle monitoring. However, the aspects of infrastructure monitoring that are suggested in this concept, are what can be considered Macro, the different phases of an infrastructure construction project is one such example. As compared to Macro changes, infrastructure Health monitoring pertains with micro changes in a structure. - Part of an infrastructure. These micro changes are not so obvious unless they reach the stage of distress cracks or displacements. For micro changes to be documented very sensitive sensors are to be designed and installed at strategic locations. These sensors give us valuable information about the health condition of an infrastructure. If this is monitored regularly, helpful information is obtained. Functional anomalies and deviations from the designed parameters can be obtained. Thus, a more precise preventive maintenance programme can be taken up and, the infrastructure can sustain longer functional life. In recent times, Infrastructure health monitoring has made great strides in North America and Europe. Immense progress has been made in this regard. Microelectronics and microptics playing a major role in these techniques, Japan and Korea too are very active in these innovations. However, the focus of these advancements is more towards gaining deeper knowledge about an infrastructure, than its potential economical application to a large set of infrastructure in a given domain. Developing and under-developed nations may embrace these innovative technologies, alien to their environs. However, without due consideration to their compatibility, they may not be able to make optimum gains with the use of these technologies. In one of the present remote health monitoring methods presented in ACC20002 ,the data is logged and then is converted into RF modulation and transmitted after due amplification to a remote location. The remaining steps required to reach results are done basically at the remote location Another aspect is explored by D Inaudi 3 showing the application of Global Positioning System (GPS) to remote monitoring of a Highway bridge. The mode and type of field data generated from a structure may vary depending on the method employed. Strain gauges, fiber optics, Natural Excitation Techniques (NExT) are some of the techniques that have been demonstrated to assimilate data from the field. Different sets of data are generated for different types of loads .viz. static loads, dynamic loads, thermal loads etc. The frequency of data collection is relative and may vary for different structures, depending upon the need to monitor it or the loading patterns of the structure. These technologies can be adopted directly to apply for remote Highway infrastructure monitoring in developing and under-developed countries. For economical reasons the application of these technologies in these countries is limited, almost non-existent. As the saving of a fast deteriorating infrastructure – costing huge amounts - becomes imperative, cost of monitoring system takes a back seat. To make infrastructure monitoring systems a part of routine infrastructure maintenance programme in developing and under-developed countries. We need to arrive at a solution that:
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