July -2003

Winnipeg, Manitoba - Today, Dr. Aftab Mufti, President of ISIS Canada Research Network and Mr. Bradley Brown, President of IDERS led a successful demonstration of the first-of-its-kind 5100A structural health monitoring system utilizing fibre Bragg grating (FBG) optical sensors. Interestingly, the trial was conducted at the Taylor Bridge in Headingley, a structure which when built in 1998 was named the ‘first smart bridge in Canada’.

The impetus for a new technology was born from requirements of ISIS Canada to read FBG sensors that were advanced, reliable and could be integrated in systems for structural health monitoring. While the technology is being demonstrated on a bridge, it has application in all manner of infrastructure and equipment, making aircraft, pipelines, towers, ships and buildings safer and more cost effective to construct, operate and maintain.

“Our requirements for this technology were demanding and complex. We were both surprised and encouraged to learn it could be developed in its entirety by a Canadian company here in Winnipeg,” explained Dr. Mufti. “The knowledge, skills and expertise to create this system were readily available in Winnipeg, Canada.”

This novel technology was conceived through collaboration between ISIS Canada and IDERS and has since been developed and manufactured right here in Manitoba by IDERS.

Shortly after completion of this trial, ISIS will deploy these systems manufactured by IDERS to research structures across Canada, including the Confederation Bridge, the Gentilly I Nuclear Reactor Containment Structure, as well as in Manitoba on numerous structures including the Golden Boy and new Provencher pedestrian bridge.

“We will officially debut the system this fall at a conference at Stanford in California, to an audience comprised of aircraft, automobile and naval vessel design and construction firms,” said Mr. Brown. “Given the response and indications thus far, we anticipate making great strides with this technology in a number of key markets with requirements for structural health monitoring.”