Bridge Monitoring with Video Sensors
Published: May 9, 2025
Presentation Transcript
Slide 1: Title
Hello. I am Scott Snelling, the CEO of Roebling Labs.
We do bridge monitoring with video sensors.
I have led dozens of bridge engineering projects across the U.S. and abroad.
Slide 2: Bridge Inspection Problems
Every bridge in the USA must be inspected every two years by a professional engineer.
But even the most thorough bridge inspection is blind to structural overloading and damage on the 99.9% of days that inspectors are not onsite.
Slide 3: Bridge Collapses to be Averted
Examples of recent incidents that monitoring could have averted include the I-40 Hernando de Soto Bridge in 2021 and the Fern Hollow Bridge in 2022. These bridges cost tens of millions of dollars to repair. But, when considering trucking delays, detours, and disruption to the local economy, these incidents each cost society into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Slide 4: Bridge Monitoring Solutions
Bridge monitoring can provide early detection of structural damage and overloading.
This reduces lifecycle costs to owners and increases the safety of the traveling public. Early intervention is made possible by timely and useful data.
Now, I will show you what our system looks like in the office.
Slide 5: Demo
As a bridge manager, your dashboard is accessed through the Bentley Systems iTwin platform.
You start by creating a 3D "Reality Model" using drone photography. If you don't already have a reality model, Roebling Labs can create one for you.
This case-study bridge is in Concord, Massachusetts.
Next you place "virtual sensors" onto the model bridge. No physical sensors are needed on the actual bridge. Roebling Labs uses video sensors placed on the shore to measure deflections to one-thousandth-of-an-inch precision.
We have placed three "virtual sensors" onto this model bridge. When you click on a virtual sensor, a video frame opens.
Watch as the midspan deflects two-hundred-and-fifty-thousandths or about one-quarter of an inch. This is within acceptable parameters for this bridge under this load and precisely measured by our system.
If an overloaded vehicle, excessive environmental load, or a beyond threshold structural deflection or crack is detected, our system will send an alert, including a video clip of the incident.
Bridge managers can catch and resolve problems at remote sites earlier; proactively saving money and increasing safety.
Slide 6: Smart Bridge on a Tripod
We offer two solutions to fit your needs:
The first we call "Smart Bridge on a Tripod™". We bring this system onsite for one day along with a human operator.
Slide 7: Smart Bridge in a Box
Our second solution is called "Smart Bridge in a Box™". We permanently install this system onsite within a weatherproof enclosure. It operates autonomously. Human operators needn't be onsite. All system settings are operated remotely through a cellular modem. It is powered by a single solar panel if electricity is not otherwise available onsite.
Slide 8: Call to Action
Our vision at Roebling Labs is to monitor every bridge.
To our existing beta partners, we welcome your feedback for how we can continue to improve your system.
To bridge owners and consulting engineers that are interested in using our solutions, send me an email at scott@roeblinglabs.com to discuss the costs for your project. Participation in a case study can unlock significant savings in 2025 as we continue to work with beta partners.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.