Comment Re:Bridges Are Not Static Structures! (Score 2) 36
Maybe, but this won't catch a lot of failures caused by corrosion or fatigue cracking, or under-designed structures that are built with excessive static deflections from the get go. Many times the first excessive deflection is the one that sends the bridge into the river. Even if this worked as advertised, it does not replace visual inspection for defects.
Look at the I-35W bridge failure in Minnesota as a case in point. Sadly, this bridge *had* been inspected visually, numerous times, and was found to be structurally deficient by design, with cracking, corrosion, and bowed gusset plates all seen and photographically recorded prior to the collapse. It was cheaper to simply schedule periodic inspections, but the inspections never triggered the required (and costly) corrections that were needed. A peak load due to construction materials and gridlocked traffic was the last straw. All the GPS and satellites in the world can't cure human stupidity.