With 25 percent of the nation’s 607,000 bridges structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, millions of people are at risk every day, but NuFortis and an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology could ease tensions and save lives. “Our patented system not only monitors a structure’s health in real time, but also continuously warns of structural failure,” said Jason Rebello of NuFortis, which was formed by three graduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sensors applied to the infrastructure monitor stress, strain, vibration and movement and instantly transmit information to people who can take appropriate action. ORNL, working with the Federal Highway Administration, plans to fine-tune the system this fall by equipping a bridge in Virginia with this technology.
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