ISIS Canada - Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures

www.isiscanada.com

By combining the disciplines of electrical and civil engineering with fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs), ISIS has broadened the scope for innovative design concepts in bridge structures. FRPs are super strong, last longer, require less maintenance than traditional construction reinforcing materials and are more cost-effective than conventional alternatives. The life of timber bridges destined for replacement has been greatly extended using FRPs at a savings of 85 per cent.

Golden Boy statue perched on top of the Manitoba legislative building

ISIS's mission is to advance civil engineering to a world leadership position by developing and applying FRPs and integrated intelligent fibre optic sensing (FOS) technologies for the benefit of Canadians through innovative and intelligent infrastructure.

The ISIS research program has four themes: Intelligent Sensing and Structural Health Monitoring; Materials Science and Innovative Structures; Structural Strengthening and Rehabilitation with FRPs; and Technology Transfer and Utilization. In partnership with owners of infrastructure, field demonstrations are conducted to prove the feasibility of ISIS technologies. This leads to revisions to design codes and a change in design policy.

By installing miniature fibre optic sensors in structures during construction and connecting the leads to a unique read-out instrument recently developed jointly by ISIS and IDERS Inc., the stress to which bridges are subjected by heavy trucks can be monitored using live, real-time data. The most unusual application of structural health monitoring to date is monitoring the "heartbeat" of the Golden Boy statue perched on the Manitoba legislative building to ensure it is not overstressed during ice and windstorms.

The corrosion and cracks in the network of Canada's oil and gas pipelines are a growing public safety concern. To counter this challenge, ISIS and a spin-off company, FOX-TEK Inc., have developed an FOS system to detect weak spots before they fail. Another technology being developed uses the photonics-based brillouin scattering technique combined with conventional telecom fibre cables to monitor pipelines remotely over long distances. Both these advances help to ensure public safety and minimize environmental damage caused by ruptured pipelines. It also reduces loss of industrial revenue.

ISIS is also working on a range of demonstration projects where the application of new technology can solve the problems of crumbling structures and shortage of maintenance and rehabilitation funds. Several such projects across Canada involving parking garages, schools, bridges and the Gentilly I nuclear facility have already benefited from ISIS technology. The first steel-free bridge deck in the United States was constructed in Iowa in 2004, based on the revolutionary design concept developed by ISIS researchers and already applied to a number of bridges across Canada.

ISIS graduate students are helping transfer new technologies from the laboratory to the workplace. To enhance their educational experience, ISIS creates opportunities such as design competitions for operating bridges. They learn how to apply their knowledge and champion the cause of the new technologies to owners of infrastructure. Student exchange programs and participation in international conferences enhance their educational experience.

New design guidelines and materials have been adapted, design codes revised and engineering design policies changed as a result of ISIS research. ISIS established the global organization of ISHMII (International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure).

Provincial Reach:

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Distribution of Research Personnel in 2004-2005

For more information visit the ISIS website.