Bridges are essential to a functioning infrastructure, but their durability is often compromised by the frequent passage of overweight trucks. The implementation of precise measurement technology for bridge protection is critical in detecting and mitigating structural issues at an early stage. On the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York such a system is currently employed. Here, Weigh In Motion (WIM) sensors from Kistler not only monitor commercial vehicles automatically, but are also used for direct enforcement of truck weight.
In the U.S., over 250,000 bridges are more than 50 years old, with 150,000 deemed deficient or obsolete. If any of these deteriorate further, authorities may need to close them, causing significant traffic disruptions. Modern technologies, such as Weigh In Motion (WIM) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) or condition monitoring offer a solution.