European transport networks under surveillance
Over the last few years, earthquakes, industrial accidents and power blackouts have mainly led to tunnel and bridge damage or destruction in Europe. Detecting and monitoring any surface or sub-surface changes in structures in real time is therefore of paramount importance. Against this backdrop, the EU-funded 'Integrated system for transport infrastructure surveillance and monitoring by electromagnetic sensing' (ISTIMES) project developed an information and communication technology (ICT)-based system of remote sensors. It provides timely information and images about infrastructure status, making damage detection and routine maintenance significantly easier. The system is also geared towards better situational awareness and crisis management in case of emergencies and disasters. The ISTIMES novel system continues to monitor civil structure and provide information on damage during or even after disaster events. It is also suitable for assisting emergency evacuations for rescuers and the public in such cases. State-of-the-art in situ electromagnetic sensors with satellite information were integrated with new ICT systems, enabling remote control and imaging at different temporal and spatial scales. By using local and distributed sensors, more detailed information about sensitive and damaged structure parts is collected. The system has an open architecture, accommodating different sensors, and can easily be scaled up for integrating additional sensors and interfaces with other networks. Several non-invasive technologies based on electromagnetic sensing were improved to allow multi-method, multi-scale monitoring and detection of surface and sub-surface changes in infrastructure. Six sensor prototypes were developed for testing. The sensor systems were assessed at two test sites and in two test beds. In particular, one experiment was unique in terms of high-mechanical impact on a civil structure with multiple sensor systems that were set up in a cooperative way. Monitoring and emergency management systems such as that provided by ISTIMES provide fast and reliable damage assessment due to multiple-technology integration and can even discourage terrorist attacks.
Keywords
Remote sensor, electromagnetic sensor, monitoring, disaster, transport infrastructure, emergency management
