Millions of people and vehicles rely on bridge infrastructure to get from point A to point B every day. But the potential for catastrophic failure grows as bridges and other transportation infrastructure age.
According to the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, there are over 617,000 bridges in the U.S., almost half being at least 50 years old. It is not only age that affects these bridges' reliability and structural integrity. Additional stresses from events such as hurricanes, earthquakes and heat waves are compromising structural durability and longevity too.
Dr. Chul Min Yeum, an assistant professor in the civil and engineering department at the University of Waterloo, leads a team of researchers using technologies like 5G and augmented reality to identify structural issues in bridges, buildings and other infrastructure before disaster strikes.
Dr. Chul Min Yeum, assistant professor in the civil and engineering department, is improving disaster detection tech with 5G.