Abstract
The highway bridge infrastructure includes a number of structures in need of replacement or significant rehabilitation work. The respective state’s departments of transportation bear the primary responsibility for the integrity and safety of the nation’s bridges. These departmental budgets are under significant strain nationwide and this is affecting the challenges involving corrosion prevention on these structures in several ways: Bridge rehabilitation for life extension often involves the introduction of impressed current cathodic protection systems for encased rebar. Limited budgets reduce the number of trained personnel to operate and maintain the systems. The personnel used often have minimal training in the area of cathodic protection. The data forwarded to the CP engineer can be incomplete and there are numerous opportunities for interjection of human error. The field sites from which the data is acquired are often in very dangerous highway locations, making data acquisition both difficult and hazardous. Developing a cost effective way to accurately acquire all of this data in an organized manner and on a timely schedule provided a unique challenge. Standard GSM remote monitoring equipment was designed into a 5-zone (15 channel), “Bridge Zone Monitor System” allowing each zone to be accessed as a discreet site while sharing the communication system with the other zones at the site.
