This project hopes to use fibre-optic cables to detect subtle changes in structural integrity.
A new European project is hoping to demonstrate that fibre-optic cables, the same that carry our internet, could also act as “real time sensors” for hidden damage in infrastructure such as bridges, railways, tunnels and energy pipelines.
Led by UK’s Aston University, this €5.1m Horizon Europe-funded project called Ecstatic is trialling this approach on a heavily used Victorian-era railway viaduct in the UK that carries tens of thousands of trains each year.
Ecstatic is short for Engineering Combined Sensing and Telecommunications Architectures for Tectonic and Infrastructure Characterisation.
Fibre-optic cables transmit light, and this project hopes to use that property to detect movement changes in a structure. As trains pass overhead, the fibres are bound to subtly flex and vibrate, which would, in turn, change how the light behaves inside the cable. Essentially, the study is aiming to create a “fingerprint” of the forces acting on the structure.
By measuring these changes and interpreting them using a new dual-microcomb photonic chip and advanced artificial intelligence signal processing, the Ecstatic project aims to pinpoint early warning signs of structural damage or fatigue.
The team is taking advantage of existing fibre optic infrastructure that is already in place to deploy this project, saving billions and avoiding any disruptions to transportation.
“Our aim is to create a global nervous system for critical infrastructure,” said Prof David Webb, the Ecstatic project coordinator.
“We are hoping to turn existing fibre-optic cables into a 24/7 early-warning system, detecting the tiniest tremors or stress fractures before they become catastrophic. If successful, it will be the difference between fixing a fault and cleaning up a tragedy.” 5bn km of optical fibre has already been installed across the globe through cities, oceans and remote terrains.
Structural collapse is not as common in Europe as it is in other developing parts of the world, including in regions more likely to face natural calamities such as earthquakes.
However, last year, a major bridge partially collapsed in a German city, causing severe disruption to the city’s traffic including the boat system underneath. While in 2018, a bridge collapse in Italy’s Genoa killed 43 people.
“Cracks in bridges, viaducts, or tunnels don’t announce themselves; structures wear down gradually and silently, with the first signs of failure remaining invisible until it’s too late,” Webb said.
“The UK and many places across Europe have hundreds of ageing railway bridges, with millions of vehicles passing under or over them each year. Many of the UK bridges date back to Victorian times, which could present a ticking time-bomb unless we take decisive steps to monitor them now.”
The Ecstatic project commenced earlier this year and runs until July 2028. It brings together 13 partners from across Europe, including universities Padova and L’Aquilla from Italy and Chalmers from Sweden. Industrial partners include Telecom Italia Sparkle, Nokia, Network Rail and Modus.
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