Real-time Structure Monitoring Improves Condition Assessment and Asset Management

Item #: 20250038

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Structures
Implementation Lead: Ari Menitove
Development Team:
- Ari Menitove – Innovation Lead
- James Corney – UDOT Structures Lead
- Aldo Gonzalez – UDOT R4 Survey Lead
- Tracy Munson – UDOT R4 Maintenance Lead
- Gaylen Dalton – UDOT Panguitch Maintenance Station Supervisor
- Ryan Maw – Gerhart Cole (consultant) – original instrumentation design
- Darren Beckstrand – Landslide Technology (consultant) – Upgraded instrumentation, Performed manual readings, Performed UAV change detection, Drafted Phase 1 Report; Phase 2 instrumentation.

Article Written By: Ari Menitove
Innovation Council Liaison: Winston Inoway
Innovation Team Coordinator: Winston Inoway

STATUS

Implementation Date: May 1, 2020
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: The techniques used on this project could be applied to monitoring unstable slopes, cuts, and excavations.

APPLIES TO

Topic: Safety and Health
Organization(s): Central Construction, Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Central Materials, Central Preconstruction, Environmental Division, Performance and Asset Management, Railroad, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Risk Management, Structures, Traffic and Safety, Traffic Management Division, Transit and Trails
Job Role(s): Construction Engineer, Materials Engineer, Program Director, Program Manager, Program Specialist, Roadway Operations / IMT, Transportation Technician
Tags: highway transportation, infrastructure preservation, labor costs, employee empowerment, political factors, value of life, value of time, inspection, products, tracking systems, remote, risk management, insurance, drones ( UAS, UAV ), civil engineering, geology, asset management, construction, design, inspection, maintenance, planning, structures, testing > samples, sampling, traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, pavement, sensor, tunnel, arch, scenic, historic, instrument, monitor, bridge, culvert, cut, structures, environmental quality > pollution > air, noise, quality of life, user benefits, ( connected communities )

PROBLEM

After numerous vehicle hits, shotcrete spalling, and questions about long-term stability, UDOT Structures recognized the need to monitor the condition of Miscellaneous Structures V-55 and V-56, which are historic and scenic 100-year-old rock arch tunnels along SR-12 between Panguitch and Bryce Canyon National Park. These unique structures could not be evaluated per standard procedures used to evaluate the conditions of other assets, such as pavement, bridges, or culverts.

CHANGE

UDOT Structures, Geotechnical Design, and Region Four Survey, with significant assistance from two consultants, developed a monitoring procedure using a combination of electronic and manual instrumentation installed directly onto the tunnels. This is supplemented by change detection analyses run on high-resolution survey data collected using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

RESULT

By implementing this monitoring system, UDOT has the data to evaluate the structure’s performance and stability. UDOT can make better maintenance decisions and manage these structures using sensors and UAV surveys.

Next Steps: In March 2025, UDOT Structures awarded Phase 2 of this project, which funds continued UAV survey change detection analyses and installation of additional instrumentation on the tunnels.

IMPACT

BETTER MOBILITY

Emergency road closure due to a tunnel collapse can be prevented through informed maintenance

GOOD HEALTH

Advanced warning of a potential collapse or slide will avoid harm

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

Good information helps maintenance crews preserve these tunnels and the connection between communities

STRONG ECONOMY

Remote sensors allow precise monitoring without the expense of frequent site visits
Avoiding disruption of travel to popular tourist attractions preserves the local economy

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