October 22, 2012

How highway bridges sing – or groan – in the rain to reveal their health




Just a drop of water can indicate the stability of a bridge

A team of BYU engineers has found that by listening to how a highway bridge sings in the rain they can determine serious flaws in the structure.

Employing a method called impact-echo testing, professors Brian Mazzeo and Spencer Guthrie can diagnose the health of a bridge’s deck based on the acoustic footprint produced by a little bit of water.