InfrastructureIt’s Alive! Creating innovative “living” bridge

Published 12 June 2019

Engineers have designed a unique living laboratory on a heavily traveled iconic bridge which could change the way infrastructure is viewed. The Memorial Bridge, which links Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Kittery, Maine, has been outfitted with data sensors that have transformed it into a self-diagnosing, self-reporting “smart” bridge that captures a range of information from the health of the span to the environment around it.

Engineers at the University of New Hampshire have designed a unique living laboratory on a heavily traveled iconic bridge which could change the way infrastructure is viewed. The Memorial Bridge, which links Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Kittery, Maine, has been outfitted with data sensors that have transformed it into a self-diagnosing, self-reporting “smart” bridge that captures a range of information from the health of the span to the environment around it.

“We call it a ‘living’ bridge because it can talk to us and provide valuable information about its health—the stress it deals with, the ease at which it moves, what’s happening around it and even under it in the Piscataqua River,” said Erin Bell, associate professor of civil engineering and principal investigator of the Living Bridge Project. “This bridge is not just for getting us across the water, it can teach us so much more about the world around us.”

Bridges are essential for everyday life, so the researchers overseeing the multi-faceted project saw this as a unique opportunity to expand the structure’s reach.

“Building a new bridge can cost communities millions of dollars, so there is interest in exploring ways to get bridges to do more than just transport people and goods,” said Bell.

UNH notes that in this case, the landmark vertical lift bridge was fitted with 40 self-diagnosing sensors that provide researchers, engineers and the general public with information about structural performance, like weight on the bridge, the behavior of the towers during a bridge lift, strain and acceleration, as well as traffic patterns, weather conditions, sea level and tidal information. It will also provide bridge design engineers unique and innovative information to help create the next generation of bridges with maximum safety, reliability and efficiency.

Taking advantage of the location, the team expanded the project below the bridge and built a floating platform that is secured to the pier underneath the bridge. It is designed to rise and fall with the changing tide and is equipped with its own weather station and sensors. Because the river is considered a harsh marine environment, the platform can be instrumental in collecting data like ebb flow, flood flow, and weather conditions.