Portsmouth, NH builds 'The Living Bridge' to boost renewable energy and infrastructure longevity
Portsmouth turned new bridge into a living laboratory powered by tidal energy, feeding data to engineers, scientists, and students.
Highlights
A sensor network on the reconstructed Memorial Bridge provides extensive data on structural performance and environmental impact.
This data enables proactive maintenance to extend bridge lifespan, and informs scientists and engineers.
The operation is entirely powered by a turbine system that converts tidal energy into electricity.
Summary
In 2013, the City of Portsmouth, NH, began reconstructing its Memorial Bridge – but this was no ordinary infrastructure project. In an initiative led by the University of New Hampshire, the city turned the structure into a living, smart bridge.
Equipped with a network of sensors and accelerators, the new bridge collects data on vibrations, the effects of weather, traffic, and environmental impact to monitor the structure’s performance. This data enables the city to proactively address any problems with the bridge, helping to extend its lifespan.
The Memorial Bridge also includes a number of innovative design elements, and the sensor data will be invaluable to scientists and engineers considering similar designs in the future. Additionally, the data is available to schools and the public, boosting citizen engagement and providing a useful tool for teaching students about the environment, engineering, and sensor technology.
Innovation is also taking place beneath the water. The bridge includes a turbine system that converts tidal energy into electricity, powering the sensor network and ensuring the structure is entirely self-sustaining.
The University of New Hampshire team hopes that the Living Bridge will provide an example to the rest of the country from both the engineering and renewable energy perspectives.