Supporting the infrastructure operators with customer specific AE-monitoring solutions

Cost-effective and efficient monitoring of infrastructure is crucial for planning maintenance and repairs while ensuring the safety of the structure. Acoustic emission is a method particularly suitable for long-term monitoring. However, the necessary extended monitoring period incurs high costs for the operator, primarily due to the exceptionally high costs of measuring equipment. The need for a tailored monitoring system for infrastructure applications is evident. TÜV AUSTRIA is developing a monitoring system called RISE, which represents a customized solution for steel bridge monitoring. The innovative online monitoring solution RISE assists experts with structural monitoring. Due to its compact design, low power consumption, and easy installation, the measuring system is specifically designed for continuous monitoring. Specifically, RISE is introduced for the hotspot monitoring of railway steel bridges. The passage of trains triggers a material response that can be recorded by the measuring system. This is used to perform crack monitoring on bridges and to have a tool for assessing crack activity and the degree of damage. This enables targeted planning of repairs and maintenance activities. Reducing the operating costs of the structure and ensures it save operation. The system is being developed to function robustly and provide a high level of automation. A demonstration of AE-monitoring of active cracks on a main bridge girder was done during a fatigue test in cooperation with the TU Graz. The girder was removed from a deconstructed bridge.