Page 17 - Demo

15Condition assessment and optimal maintenance strategiesBesides identifying damage and structural issues, data from sensors, inspections, drones and traffic surveillance also help assess and forecast a bridge%u2019s structural condition. This information helps create a maintenance plan that balances cost and reliability. %u201cMaintaining long-span bridges is expensive,%u201d says Prof. Xia. %u201cFor instance, it costs about HK$300 million a year to maintain the Tsing Ma Bridge, and this will increase as the bridge ages. A good maintenance plan can reduce costs and improve safety.%u201d SHM systems build an invaluable database revealing not only a bridge%u2019s load and response, but also its corrosion rate and its speed of structural deterioration. The team%u2019s highly efficient real-time condition assessment and maintenance system uses an algorithm that is based on the multi-attribute utility theory and the decision making framework to predict degradation and optimise bridge maintenance, cutting material costs by 25% and life-cycle costs by 30%. The system considers environmental, economic and safety metrics %u2013 including structural reliability, traffic volume and bridge size %u2013 to make optimal maintenance decisions while minimising costs and carbon emissions, and maximising safety.Smart real-time health monitoring around the clockThe team%u2019s intelligent health monitoring system is the first to use 5G networks and edge computing for the SHM of long-span bridges. The system now operates on the world%u2019s longest sea-crossing bridge %u2013 the Hong Kong%u2013Zhuhai%u2013Macao Bridge. It is also in use on the Shenzhen Chuangye Bridge, and the PolyU campus footbridge linking Block Z and Block X, where it serves as an educational tool to explain SHM to the public, while promoting basic knowledge about bridges, sensors and surveying. Using forward-thinking and state-of-the-art technology, the interdisciplinary team has successfully overcome the technical challenges of the traditional SHM of bridges, improving efficiency, reliability and network performance. The system ensures public safety while significantly reducing the financial and environmental costs of bridge maintenance. It is an exemplar of advanced technology benefitting people by making their lives easier while achieving long-term sustainability.FOREVER YOUNG