Engineering
Bridge Scour Monitoring Using Vibration-Based Sensor Networks
Quick fact
When flowing water scours away the soil around a bridge foundation, the bridge's natural frequencies drop by measurable amounts—sometimes several percent—allowing hidden scour to be detected with accelerometers and wireless networks.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever wondered how engineers can 'feel' if a bridge is safe without even touching it? By listening to its vibrations, they can detect hidden erosion that could cause collapse.