Perspective: How Cloud Computing Enables Remote Monitoring of Bridge Strikes

By Jeff Kondis

"The Internet of Things" (IoT) is a phrase that encompasses the advanced connectivity of devices, systems and services within the rail industry. It encompasses the use of sensors, M2M communications, cloud computing and other technology that railroad system suppliers have been working with for years.

Bridgestrike system from L.B. Foster wholly owned subsidiary, TEW Plus, www.railwayofthings.co.uk
Photo: L.B. Foster

L.B. Foster's wholly owned subsidiary, TEW Plus, is a U.K.-based specialist safety, security and asset management business. Located in London and Nottingham, England, TEW Plus is at the forefront of developing innovative systems that solve various customer problems by using the principle of the Internet of Things. Within the company's suite of unique solutions, dubbed the "Railway of Things," the company has developed "various systems through which we can monitor any 'thing' that is important for the railway, and deliver [information related to it] in a way that the customer requires," says David Farman, director of L.B. Foster TEW Plus.

For example, road vehicles hitting a railroad bridge can cause significant train delays and monetary penalties for train operators. Not long ago, Network Rail in the U.K. contracted with TEW Plus to design, manufacture and install a Bridgestrike system.  Here's how this specific example of a Railway of Things offering works. 

"We designed a mechanical device which would indicate visually if the bridge deck had moved more than 3mm following a strike by an over-height vehicle," explains Farman. "This device could be remotely visually inspected by HD cameras, which also permitted views of both the leading edges and under-bridge for scoring and rivet damage."

Network Rail required the visual inspection system operate on solar power and use 3G communications, and also required the images be provided on demand within 2 minutes.

"We can monitor many conditions specific to a particular railway 24/7/365 and send those conditions continuously to our cloud-based server for processing and subsequent delivery to the user," he says.

Farnum says the company has developed solutions to recover data for many "things," including flood, landslip, rail temperature and cable movement detection, as well as bridge strike. "Using our expertise in power management, we [provided Network Rail with] a six-camera HD system that will run 24/7 for 5 years without intervention, other than cleaning," he says.  

The Bridgestrike user interface is a custom built web site that clearly and rapidly shows bridge detail route-by-route. It also allows the operator to access reference images, the last request and historical images, as well as request a fresh set of images.  There is also a zoom function over each image to allow for closer inspection of detail. 

"This is a more robust solution compared to installing impact triggers, which inevitably produce unwanted and costly false alarms," says Farman. By using this monitoring system, the train delays are reduced from many hours to about 20 minutes, when compared to the time it takes for a bridge inspector to get to the structure following a strike, he adds.

Continuous improvement

TEW Plus is currently developing a very precise measurement addition that will alarm when the bridge has physically moved out of specification.  Continuous recording has also been requested so there will be video recording to assist in prosecution of offenders for the damage caused by their vehicle, says Farnum.

"Our monitoring systems can use solar power, wireless radio and secure mobile 3G communications to enable deployment anywhere. They incorporate ultra-low power designs to minimize energy consumption, communicate with our cloud-based servers only when required and send emails on specific events requested by the customer. Our recent work in Scotland on the Edinburgh-to-Glasgow project, for example, has secured many miles of new overhead electrification lines using tiny battery operated and wireless movement detectors. A number of potential theft incidents have already been averted with this system," says Farnum.

"The underlying goal with our Railway of Things program is to meet our customer's needs, not to simply provide a single product offering," he adds. "We proactively examine what problem our customer has and is trying to address, and then develop a system to solve those problems.

"We fully believe that technology is not a barrier to our innovation program and our mantra, like everything that is being developed around the Internet of Things, is Anything-Anytime-Anywhere."

Jeff Kondis is Manager of Corporate Marketing for L.B. Foster Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, TEW Plus. More information is available at www.railwayofthings.co.uk. Also available online are demos of the company's flood, landslip, rail temperature, cable movement detection and bridge strike monitoring systems.

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