Bridges
Enhancing structural safety

There are 586,930 federally reported bridges in the United States with 167,566 or 28.6% defined as deficient (US DOT, FHA). Developing new methods for inspection and evaluation of bridges has recently received considerable attention. The characterization of aging responses in structural materials entails establishing the fundamental relationships between service and environmental exposure and material properties. Service failures due to inaccurate characterization of aging responses can result in costly repair or premature component replacement. SSM technology allows the establishment of current key mechanical properties which are needed as input for various damage prediction models as well as to evaluate the safety factors used for bridges, and periodic monitoring of aging bridges to develop correlations between the SSM-measured mechanical properties and the damage accumulation as a function of bridge service usage.

1. US DOT, Federal Highway Administration, “Status of Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit: 2002 Conditions and Performance Report,” http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2002cpr/index.htm

2. "Using Portable/In-Situ Stress-Strain Microprobe System to Measure Mechanical Properties of Steel Bridges During Service," SPIE Proceedings on "Nondestructive Evaluation of Bridges and Highways," Vol. 2946, 1996, pp. 65-75. (626k)

Automotive
Improving margins & Improving safety

The SSM system can measure the stress-strain behavior of welds and their heat-affected zones (HAZs) including very small spot welds of frames and components. The SSM technology is used to verify that the steel of the structural frame meets the suppliers’ specifications. It can also be used to measure the ductility of the steel sheets to ensure stamping without cracks. Save time and money by testing the steel rolls before they are shipped from the mill.

Railroad
Improving inspection techniques
Improving safety

The SSM technology performs nondestructive, in-situ ABI tests to detect the presence of residual stresses of rails. It is used to inspect tank cars to verify construction materials and to verify structural integrity after accidents before the cars are moved or off-loaded.