Reliable, digital and non-contact precision measurement system for remote structural health monitoring of any structure
The monitoring of structures is one of the ultimate challenges to engineering companies today. Ageing and increasing number of extreme events (e.g. earthquakes or strong wind) are degrading the long-term performance of the structures. A collapse or closure of structure can lead to chaos, significant financial losses, and, in some cases, heavy casualties. The recent collapse of the Morandi bridge (Genoa, Italy) due to ageing structures and poor maintenance led to 43 deaths and €600 million loss. Whereas, a single-lane closure of the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland due to the safety risk caused a €734k loss daily. Unfortunately, the current solutions are expensive, slow and unreliable, leading to ineffective monitoring and reduced number of analysis. The currently adopted techniques request the installation of permanent devices on the structure to be monitored, implying: high installation and monitoring costs, time-consuming monitoring and low versatility. To address these problems, Imetrum has developed VG360, a non-contact, full field digital measurement system for remote structural health monitoring of any type of structure, 24×7×365. It is composed of a digital camera connected to a commercial Robotic Total Station (RTS), computer, and intelligent field software. The software is based on Imetrum’s proprietary algorithms for pattern recognition and Digital Imaging Correlation (DIC) for robust image tracking.
Within the overall innovation project, Imetrum aims to upgrade VG360 core technology with new intrinsic features and integrate it within the Topcon RTS series; perform a long-term pilot demonstration and validation of the VG360 system at different site locations and develop a sound commercialization and market strategy.