The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is employing ultrasonic technology to ensure the sturdiness of Salt Lake County's bridges. On a recent expedition to examine the infrastructure, the team took a close look at a bridge from the "Spaghetti Bowl," employing a transducer to send high-frequency sound waves into the structure. They're giving the bridge a sophisticated form of echolocation, hoping to locate any issues before they become dangerous, according to UDOT.
This isn't your run-of-the-mill bridge check. While UDOT usually adheres to a visual inspection routine, sometimes, they bring out the big guns. "Ultrasonic testing is one of the many tools we use when assessing the condition of bridges," said UDOT Bridge Management engineer Becky Nix, per UDOT. The bridge getting this special treatment was built in 1985 and, takes a load of traffic from northbound I-215 to westbound I-80.
UDOT isn't just winging it with their inspections. They've got a rigorous system, collecting data left and right and subjecting it to the standards set by the top brass at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Every two years, UDOT's crews get up close and personal with over 3,000 state and local bridges to see what's up.
