The use of drones, satellites and lasers is set to revolutionise bridge inspection and monitoring, experts have claimed in advance of the 2015 Bridges conference and exhibition on the 25 March.
The programme for the event, which has been running for over a generation, features analysis of all the latest developments in the sector, with technology featuring heavily this year.
James Dunthorne, technical manager at Richard Allitt Associates will give a talk on how drone or UAV technologies are set to transform bridge inspection, while Elena Barto of the National Physical Laboratory is giving a talk on satellite technology developments for bridge asset management.
From the international scene, delegates have the chance to find out more about the USA’s accelerated bridge construction programme and its implications for the UK and European market.
Another major project currently being built in Turkey will also be under the spotlight; the Izmit Bay Bridge contractor’s deputy project manager Yasutsugu Yamasaki will give a presentation highlighting the challenges of building a large-span suspension bridge in a very short time - sharing some of the secrets of progress so far.
Closer to home Scotland's historic Forth Replacement Crossing is moving into its most visually-dramatic phase, with the main towers rising and the first sections of deck now in position. Project director David Climie will bring delegates up to date with the latest progress on the scheme as it enters its last two years of construction.
Medium and small-span bridges are also key to the programme, with designer Andreas Keil of Schlaich Bergermann & Partners demonstrating that a landmark bridge need not be showy; good detailing and careful consideration of context is central to a successful result.
Working within tight constraints is another challenge that the UK’s bridge engineers regularly face, and will be one of the aspects addressed by Ray Sexton when he talks about the Nottingham Express Transit.
Repair, maintenance and inspection continue to be the mainstay of workload for the vast majority of bridge engineers, and the event will showcase a number of major refurbishment projects as well as new technologies aimed at increasing efficiency and safety for these daily tasks.
For more about the event please visit the website here.
