New €120 Million Project for Bridge Structural Health Monitoring to Launch in Greece

A new project, worth €120 million, is set to begin in Greece, initiated by three contractors. This project aims to revolutionize the health monitoring industry by providing real-time assessments of the structural health of selected bridges using state-of-the-art systems and methodologies. The Technical Chamber of Greece has divided the Smart Bridges project among OTE, Globitel, and TERNA, following six contracts that cover the 13 regions of Greece.

It is noteworthy that most bridges in Greece were constructed between the 1950s and 1980s, and many are nearing the end of their expected lifespan. Factors such as aging, insufficient maintenance, and increasingly severe environmental conditions due to climate change have contributed to the deterioration of bridge strength, leading to precarious states. Consequently, the smart bridge project aims to mitigate these risks and enable early detection of structural issues, ultimately ensuring timely interventions. The project's goal is to extend the lifespan of these critical infrastructures.

The first step of the project will involve installing smart bridge systems, including a Real-Time Structural Health Monitoring (RTSHM) network in the Attica region. The smart systems will gather data on structural responses to external factors, such as traffic loads, accidental impacts, and temperature fluctuations. This data will be transferred to a centralized online platform for analysis. Additionally, the smart bridge systems will provide continuous communication networks and sensors to measure strain, acceleration, water levels, and temperature, all linked to the central platform.

The novelty of this initiative lies in its ability to enable real-time evaluations of structural vulnerabilities under normal traffic conditions and provide data to define maximum allowable limits for traffic. By facilitating timely failure predictions and enabling informed decision-making, the project aims to optimize resource allocation for maintenance and strengthen structures in need.

Moreover, the project will adhere to international best practices by employing methodologies such as instrumented structural monitoring, offering a globally recognized approach to evaluating long-term structural integrity.

The first of the six contracts commenced with Globitel on October 10, with a budget of €12.7 million (plus an optional €6.37 million, excluding VAT). In this phase, monitoring systems will be installed on 36 bridges in the Attica region.