Businessweek has an interesting video (see above) about the bridge in my hometown of Minneapolis that was built to replace the one that collapsed in 2007. The new St. Anthony Falls Bridge was designed using a completely paperless system that made use of laser topography scanners, on-site tablet PCs with 3D renderings.
There are 400 sensors embedded into the bridge’s concrete, relaying statistical data to safety analysts in the hopes of keeping everything in smooth working order for at least 100 years.
Smart Bridge [BusinessWeek.com]
Pretty cool.
Isn’t the life expectancy of concrete only 50 years though?
The (Roman) Pantheon was built of concrete and is still standing, still safe. Thousands of tourists visit it every day.