Climate change is creating a trend toward warming temperatures. As a result, temperate regions that currently experience freeze thaw cycles may experience fewer cycles in the future and regions currently experiencing deep seasonal or even permafrost conditions may expect thawing when previously they did not. These types of regions dominate Canada. The use of IHM (Infrastructure Health Monitoring) systems can assist owners in monitoring and managing the specific climatic impacts on transportation assets and can aid in developing asset management and maintenance strategies accordingly. This paper introduces the merits of IHM systems, their applicability to monitoring impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure and discusses the recent Manitoba Floodway Authority (MFA) IHM case study in Manitoba. Wardrop Engineering Inc. was recently engaged by the MFA to design and implement a 46 sensor IHM system for the new floodway crossing on the TransCanada Highway (TCH1E) east of Winnipeg. The IHM system for the TCH1E bridge aims to provide continuous feedback for the structural performance of the bridge. Sensors installed on the bridge girders and deck will measure strain, vibration characteristics, deformation and temperature data. The data are stored on dedicated server and can be accessed through a web page currently hosted by Wardrop (http://tch1.wardrop.net). For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E216597.
Abstract