With the exponentially increasing ability to capture and analyze vast quantities of data from objects—bridge piers and pavements, for example—the dream of an intelligent transportation infrastructure (ITI) is within reach. Over time, this feedback will lead to the building of ever-better infrastructure, experts say.
Yet, except for a few extraordinarily high-profile projects—such as the replacement of Minneapolis’ I-35W bridge, whose fatal 2007 collapse shook the nation’s faith in its bridges—the industry has not yet embraced long-term infrastructure monitoring.