A ratings system developed by a group of Kansas State University researchers could keep bridges safer and help prevent catastrophic collapses.
Hayder Rasheed, associate professor of civil engineering, and Yacoub Najjar, professor of civil engineering, are collaborating to better detect and measure damage in concrete bridges. Ahmed Al-Rahmani, doctoral student in civil engineering, United Arab Emirates, has also been involved in the project.
The researchers have created a bridge health index, which is a rating system that more accurately describes the amount of damage in a bridge. Additionally, the health index can extend beyond bridges and apply to other structures, such as gas pipelines, dams, buildings and airplanes.
K-State Researchers Develop Health Index For Bridges
The engineers have developed ways to take bridge measurements and use finite element analysis and neural network modeling to back-calculate and detect bridge damage. The researchers combined this process of inverse problem solving with Najjar's expertise in neural networks to create the bridge health index.