With the exponentially increasing ability to capture and analyze vast quantities of data from objects—bridge piers and pavements, for example—the dream of an intelligent transportation infrastructure (ITI) is within reach. Over time, this feedback will lead to the building of ever-better infrastructure, experts say.
Yet, except for a few extraordinarily high-profile projects—such as the replacement of Minneapolis’ I-35W bridge, whose fatal 2007 collapse shook the nation’s faith in its bridges—the industry has not yet embraced long-term infrastructure monitoring. That may change: The stars of ITI are aligning.
Federal highway funding requirements are driving increased use of technology to extract infrastructure condition metrics. Subjective judgments are out. Data is in.
MAP-21, the most recent authorization, links roadwork funding to data-based performance targets. This stipulation has triggered a rush by state departments of transportation to reach for technology to document the condition of existing roadways.
“All the DOTs are scrambling to inventory every mile of pavement the way they do bridge inspections now,” says Jim Twomey, national market lead for surface transportation at Michael Baker International, a Pittsburgh-based engineer. “DOTs are inundated with data.”
Further, public demand is rising for intelligent traffic systems (ITS). Read more…
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