The Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) can rightly be considered a pioneer in bridge management and development. The ELY Centre has now assembled a team of experts from various organizations and companies to monitor and analyze results of the suspension bridge located in Southern Finland, built in 1969. They include WSP Finland, Mitta, HLC Analytics and Koherent.
The aim of the project is to use the latest monitoring technology and the generated data to improve the efficiency of bridge testing, long-term monitoring, modeling, repair planning and related processes.
WSP Finland will act as the coordinator between the client and the various parties involved in the project, and will take care of traffic arrangements and the vehicles needed for the test load, among other things. "Our aim is also to obtain initial data for the design of the replacement of the expansion joints," says Ilkka Redman, Project Manager at WSP Finland.
The technology provider Koherent ensures the continuous delivery of real-time and reliable measurement data. "We produce real-time radio interferometric positioning data on the movements of bridge structures with an accuracy of less than a millimeter" says Kari Leppänen, CEO of Koherent.
"We supply strain sensors for the bridge, which provide valuable additional information on the static and dynamic stresses caused by traffic and environmental conditions," comments Veijo Lyöri of Mitta Oy.
“We aim to identify best practices for how data moves from the measurement provider to the project owner and to develop new tools for interpreting the results,” says Heikki Lilja of HLC Analytics.
"Ideally, the lessons learned and measurement data from the project will also provide better opportunities for the use of AI, which will allow us to obtain more effective and efficient solutions for ensuring bridge structures throughout their life cycle," says Juha Noeskoski from the Uusimaa ELY Centre, who commissioned the project.
