Re:Wireless Sensor Networks (Score 1)

The technology already exists to take care of this problem. The issue is the slowness of our government to implement change (and especially embrace new technology). Fiber optic sensors can already determine in real time changes in stress, pressure, humidity, temperature, etc. Osmos-group in France has already installed this technology on 550 projects worldwide including 23 in the U.S. The cost less than $50k per bridge and $50k/year for monitoring. This is far less than the cost of sending teams of engineers to "tap" every nook and crany of our bridges every 2 years. The best part is it's real time not a "snapshot" once every 2 years. Bridges have collapsed hours after inspection teams pronounced them sounds (Montreal Sept 30, 2006).