Improving Global Quality of Life

9 Needs and challenges of major industry sectors for future applications
excessive fatigue damage and corrosion loss that went unchecked. To prevent this, considerable research
is ongoing in the bridge health monitoring arena. A variety of sensors are available in the market that can
be incorporated in a warning system to alert bridge owners to conduct timely maintenance, or in case of
imminent failure, to shut down a bridge to save lives.
Nations will benefit by adopting and implementing appropriate, ready-to-go researched information and
technologies, products, or processes that can result in economic or qualitative benefits. A comprehensive
list of such items to meet the needs of all countries is not possible in this paper, but here are a few broad
items that are considered as significant and have high potential for bridges, including welded steel bridges.
Global Positioning System (GPS): GPS uses satellites that transmit signals continuously and has many
highway applications including surveying pavement and bridge deck conditions, and inventorying
highway assets. GPS offers increased accuracy and reduces labour, time and costs.
Accelerated construction: Accelerated construction is an approach to highway construction
employing many techniques and technologies. This approach will bring to the attention of the
highway community many innovations and research results currently available but not generally
applied. Concepts and ideas must be defined if plans to implement them into highway engineering
practice are to be fulfilled. Using accelerated construction techniques or technologies will
accelerate the construction of highway projects with extended service lives to reduce user delay
and community disruption.
Prefabricated bridge elements and systems: Prefabricated bridge elements and systems may be
manufactured on-site or off-site, under controlled conditions, and brought to the job location
ready to install. These systems minimise traffic impacts of bridge construction projects, improve
construction zone safety, make construction less disruptive for the environment, increase quality
and lower life-cycle costs. Using these systems reduces traffic and environmental impacts by
minimising the need for lane closures, detours, and use of narrow lanes.
The key is to reflect changing times and customer expectations that have broadened the job facing the
welding industry. Today, the job is not just putting welded components together to build a bridge, but to find
ways to join and erect the members rapidly to enhance mobility and productivity, which are the core of the
transportation industry.
The leadership in the welding community has been striving to identify critical performance gaps that must
be addressed as short-term solutions and these must align with long-term strategic direction. This should
help support welding needs of related industries in any country. For example, the following table identifies
(a) Short-term technical elements and (b) Long-term strategic direction for meeting USA transportation
needs for highways (from the Strategic Highway Research Programme Report 260). For success in meeting
transportation needs, all partners and contributors, including welding professionals, working to close
short-term gaps and to meet long-term strategic goals must identify their respective needs and align them
accordingly.
Short - term performance gaps
• Safety
• Congestion
• Environmental Streamlining &
Stewardship
Long - term strategic direction
• Safety
• Mobility and Productivity
• Human & Natural Environment
• National Security
• Organisational Excellence
Through Optimum Use and Innovation of Welding and Joining Technologies
Improving Global Quality of Life
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