ENG: A University of Houston scientist and an international research team have identified serious weaknesses in many of the world’s long-span bridges and proposed a practical way to detect problems earlier. In a study of 744 bridges, they found that bridges in North America are in the poorest condition, followed by those in Africa. The findings are linked in part to bridge age, especially in North America, where construction peaked in the 1960s and many structures are now close to or beyond their intended design life. The researchers argue that satellite-based monitoring can help authorities track bridge stability more regularly and respond before damage becomes severe.
