P-T Tendon Wire Break Monitoring

Hawaii- SMS completes the world’s first of its kind and the longest bridge fiber optic structural health monitoring installation. 

This project monitors Honolulu’s new elevated rail bridge post-tensioned tendon for wire breaks using hundreds of fiber optic acoustic sensors over 6.3 miles.  

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After many replacements and three complete tendon failures, the owner realized acoustic monitoring was the only methodology to detect wire breaks before a catastrophic tendon failure.

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Our Helios system is monitoring hundreds of sensors with only one 6.3 mile-long fiber optic cable. This system successfully replaces more expensive electrical sensors that are labor-intensive to install and fail within years.

Acoustic monitoring tells owners Where, When, and How many Wire Breaks occur to determine it's severity, helping to formulate repair and inspections strategies as effectively as possible.