QUT expert backs tech to extend the life of Brisbane’s Story Bridge
QUT’s Professor Tommy Chan says the latest technology will help keep the 85-year-old Story Bridge functioning for Brisbane traffic into the future.
Brisbane’s Story Bridge, now 85 years old, is a vital transport link for the city, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles and 4000 pedestrians daily, according to QUT researcher Professor Tommy Chan.
With a 100-year design life, major restoration is needed to ensure the bridge maintains its functionality and safety, particularly ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, Chan said.
Chan and a team of QUT researchers are now working on improving the structural health monitoring of bridges with a new data-led system.
“In the past, when we are talking about the structure’s lifespan, we’re talking about a cradle to grave life cycle, but if we adopt this kind of technology, it’s always cradle to cradle,” Chan said.
On Wednesday November 26, Professor Chan and his team submitted their proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC) for approval.
Chan explains that with predictive maintenance technology, the structure can remain perpetually young with the support of $5 million in funding from ARC, plus $6 million in industry cash contributions – including support from the Brisbane City Council.
“With the Story Bridge, it doesn’t mean that it has only 20 more years to go because it’s been designed for 100 years, because we can replace its elements to keep it young all the time.”
Professor Chan says the data has been designed to detect and predict damage, locate it, ascertain the severity and monitor the performance and remaining life of the structure.
“We put sensors on some critical locations so we not only know about the information for that particular location, but we will see what other areas may have problems.”
“The main thing is we need to deploy the sensor in an effective way so that we can see the whole picture of the structure and then try to make decisions at a certain period of time to do what we call the predictive management, rather only doing maintenance where problems arise.”
Professor Chan says traditional bridge maintenance inspection schedules are a little outdated, leading to unexpected damage.
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“Say for example, they do inspections every three months. Deterioration and damages can accumulate in between the three months quite unexpectedly,” he said.
Professor Chan, who has already seen this kind of technology implemented in Hong Kong, says Australia’s research is advanced, but the implementation is a little behind other countries.
“We’re living in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) but our infrastructure is lagging behind. The Research Hub – Infrastructure Hub 4.0 – will deliver smart, sustainable solutions for monitoring and managing infrastructure effectively. This strategy will slash costs, boost safety, and extend asset lifespans, fully embracing Industry 4.0 while steering toward Industry 5.0,” Chan said.
“We are trying to help Australia’s infrastructure to catch up with other countries, as well as to take the leading role in the world.”
