University of Vermont Incorporates Sensors in State Bridges

To monitor the structural health of Vermont's aging bridges, the University of Vermont in Burlington has spearheaded a campaign to equip some bridges with an array of different optical sensors.

Campaign to equip some bridges with an array of different optical sensors.

Led by Peter Fuhr, the group installed 36 fiber optic chloride sensors, nine fiber optic Bragg grating strain sensors, two fiber optic multimode vibration sensors and two multiplexed fiber optic corrosion sensors in a bridge spanning the Winooski River in Waterbury, Vt. The effort is the result of funding from the National Science Foundation, the state Agency of Transportation and the US Federal Highway Administration. 3M Specialty Optical Fibers of West Haven, Conn., donated the Bragg sensors.