A health-check for buried infrastructure

We are developing novel acoustic emission (AE) monitoring approaches for a wide range of geotechnical assets, such as buried pipelines, foundations, retaining structures, tunnels and dams.

The benefits of the AE monitoring approach include:

  • Low-cost technology
  • Ability to retrofit to existing, ageing assets
  • Continuous measurements with high temporal resolution
  • Real-time information
  • Early warning of deterioration behaviour

Listening to Infrastructure

The goal of Listening to Infrastructure is to revolutionise infrastructure stewardship with acoustic emission (AE) sensing. If we can listen to geotechnical assets (e.g. buried pipelines, foundations, retaining structures, tunnels and dams) with intelligent sensors – analogous to a stethoscope being used to listen to a patient’s heartbeat – we will be able to provide information on the condition of infrastructure and early warning of deterioration in real-time.