NEWS > World first 3D structural testing system
Published: Wednesday, 07 Apr, 2010
South West RDA announced on 31 March 2010 that it has awarded a GBP50,000 grant to Bristol based Imetrum Ltd to develop the world first 3D system that will monitor movement of structures such as buildings and bridges. The company, based in Flax Bourton, currently makes a 2D system, which is used to
South West RDA announced on 31 March 2010 that it has awarded a GBP50,000 grant to Bristol based Imetrum Ltd to develop the world first 3D system that will monitor movement of structures such as buildings and bridges. The company, based in Flax Bourton, currently makes a 2D system, which is used to assess the properties of materials during their design and manufacture. Having secured more than 50 material testing orders from high profile companies such as Airbus and Rolls Royce, Imetrum will use the grant to develop the first 3D product specifically tailored to monitoring structures.
Using real time digital video processing, it will give engineers a better knowledge of the way structures behave and move when a load, such as cars on a bridge, is applied. It also measures the affects of different environmental conditions, for example wind and temperature.As well as being used in civil engineering projects, such as bridges, dams and buildings, the system could also be used in the automotive and aircraft industries to test large structural components, such as car chassis and aircraft fuselages.
Because of the UK’s ageing infrastructure, hundreds of bridges, dams and public buildings need to be tested regularly for safety and to develop more efficient maintenance strategies. Network Rail has over 50,000 bridges in its network, 50 per cent of which are over 100 years old. The new 3D monitoring equipment will give the engineers measurement data in a matter of minutes compared to traditional measurement techniques that take days to set up, dramatically reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
John Brewster, managing director at Imetrum Ltd, said: ”This grant will enable us to be the first to develop a unique product and open up a growing new market that is expected to be worth GBP1bn within the next few years.
Imetrum was founded in 2003 as a spinout from the University of Bristol. More than 15 years of research and development has made them experts in the field of video based, remote precision measurement. The 2D Video Gauge product was first launched in 2007 and is now used both within academia and industry.
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