CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Remote sensors will be installed on bridges on two main South Carolina highways allowing highway officials in Columbia to monitor their condition.
The sensors, using cell phone technology, will be installed on the U.S. 378 bridge over the Pee Dee River and on the Santee River bridges on U.S. 17 along the coast.
State bridge maintenance engineer Lee Floyd told The Charleston Post and Courier the sensors detect changes in voltage that correlate to strain on the bridges.
Floyd said if it’s successful, the technology could be installed on other bridges.
The bridges where the sensors are being installed are considered structurally deficient, although Floyd said they are not considered dangerous.
The U.S. 378 bridge is scheduled for replacement.
