The Smart Composite Bridge (SCB) is a short-span structure located on the campus of the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri. It incorporates advanced materials and sensing techniques as applied to civil engineering structures. This prototype bridge, the first full-composite, highway-rated bridge in Missouri, was designed, analyzed, and manufactured as a cooperative product-development by the Missouri S&T (then, University of Missouri-Rolla or UMR) and industry and government partners, it is a long-term technological demonstration for industry and an interdisciplinary field laboratory for students at Missouri S&T. Its features include
- All-composite Design for high performance,
- Composite tube construction for economy,
- Fiber optic sensors for smart monitoring.
As a smart structure, the SCB has a permanent, integral network of sensor to measure structural health.
The bridge has a modular construction based on a pultruded 76-mm square tube. The cross section of the overall structural element is an I-beam formed by seven layers of bonded tubes. The top and bottom layers are carbon/vinyl-ester tubes for strength and the other layers are glass/vinyl-ester tubes for economy. The wear surface and railing elements were made using soybean-based resin and recycled composite material from Ranger truck parts. Fiber-optic sensors were embedded throughout to measure load-induced strain. These sensors are particularly attractive due to their environmental ruggedness and unobtrusive size. Such smart instrumentation offers versatile capability for inspecting, evaluating, and managing infrastructure throughout its service life.
The Smart Engineering project with the SCB as a central element was a collaboration by an interdisciplinary faculty team with multiple industry and government partners. See Smart Composite Bridge for details on the project, the research team, partners, and related technical literature. A photo gallery is available at SCB Photo Gallery to illustrate selected aspects of the project.
Smart Engineering Group Information
Smart Engineering Group:
Steve E. Watkins
Abdeldjelil Belarbi
K. Chandrashekhara
Richard Hall
Antonio Nanni
For Information Contact: Steve E. Watkins
Project: Advanced Materials and Smart Sensors for Civil Infrastructures
NSF Combined Research Curriculum Development Grant