The Infrastructure Crisis: A Trillion Dollar Challenge

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The Infrastructure Crisis A Trillion Dollar
Challenge
Nemy Banthia1 and Axel Meisen2 1 The
University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
Canada 2 Alberta Research Council, Edmonton,
Canada

18th CAETS , Calgary, Alberta, July 2009
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Civil Infrastructure

• Aviation
• Bridges
• Dams
• Drinking Water
• Hazardous Wastes
• Roads
• Energy
• Schools
• Navigation Waterways
• Public Parks and Recreation
• Security
• Solid Waste
• Transit
• Waste Water

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Infrastructure Deficit

• Infrastructure Deficit Hypothesis A decline in
  the public capital formation (i.e.
  infrastructure) lowers private sector
  productivity and, therefore, lowers a nations
  real income and weaken its competitiveness.

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Consider Our Vicinity

• The United States
• Canada

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Infrastructure in the US

• The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has concluded that
  the failure of civil infrastructure systems to
  perform at their expected level has reduced the
  US GDP by 1.
• It stated The state of infrastructure is indeed
  alarming in the US, and the financial burden is
  huge.

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Infrastructure in the US The ASCE Report

• The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE),
  assigned an overall grade of D (Poor) to the USA
  in its recent Infrastructure Report Card
• It estimates that 1.6 trillion are needed in the
  next five years to alleviate potential problems
  with the civil infrastructure

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ASCE Report
Bridges C
Dams D
Energy D
Roads D
Wastewater D-
C Mediocre D Poor
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ASCE Report Bridges

• 27 of USs 590,750 bridges are rated
  structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

It will cost 9.4 billion a year for 20 years to
eliminate all bridge deficiencies.
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Minnesota Bridge Collapse(August 1, 2007)
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ASCE Report Dams

• Since 1998, the number of unsafe dams has risen
  by 33 to more than 3,500.
• The number of dams identified as unsafe is
  increasing at a faster rate than those being
  repaired.
• 10.1 billion is needed over the next 12 years to
  repair dams which pose a direct risk to human
  life.

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Hydro Power

• There is a newborn interest in hydro-power as a
  renewable source of energy.
• Hydro-power accounts for 7 of total energy
  produced in the US, 20 in China, 27 in India
  and more than 60 in Canada!
• Unsafe dams are a serious concern from power
  generation point of view.

1970 Failure of the Buffalo Creek Dam
2003 Failure of the Silver Lake Dam
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ASCE Report Roads

• Poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists 54
  billion per year in repairs and operating costs
  275 per motorist.
• Americans spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in
  traffic, at a cost of 63.2 billion a year to the
  economy.
• Total spending of 59.4 billion annually is well
  below the 94 billion needed annually to improve
  transportation infrastructure conditions
  nationally.

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Infrastructure in Canada

• 59 of Canadas infrastructure is more than 40
  years old
• As per Statistics Canada, 37 years is the
  expected average life of a structure in Canada.

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Infrastructure in Canada

• There are approximately 10,000 deficient bridges
  with a total repair /strengthening cost of 44
  billion.
• There are 4000 parking garages needing immediate
  attention.

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Quebec Overpass Collapse (Sept. 30, 2006)
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Infrastructure in Canada

• Canadas current infrastructure deficit is 125
  billion (and growing annually by 2 billion),
  which is 6-10 times the level of all annual
  government infrastructure budget combined.

Prediction 2002
Actual 2009
Prediction in 2002 which has already proven to be
an underestimation
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Influence of Global Warming on Concrete Structures

• Increase in atmospheric CO2 levels from 370 ppm
  to 1000 ppm
• Increased Corrosion Rates
• Increased Carbonation
• Increase in temperature by over 50C
• Increased Shrinkage
• Porous Microstructure and High Permeability
• Increased Corrosion Rates
• Increased Water Levels
• Increased Saturation
• Greater Scour

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Scour
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Why are we in such dire straits?

• Deterioration and aging of structural systems due
  to weather, fatigue, pollution, structural
  settlement and now global warming
• Construction mistakes
• Code changes (structural dynamics, seismic
  design, etc.)
• Loading changes and
• Functional Obsolesce.

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Infrastructure Concerns
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The Pantheon, 118 to 126 AD
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Canadian Research in Sustainable Infrastructure
Canadian Network of Centers of Excellence
Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures
(ISIS)
Canada Research Chairs
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Develop Zero Carbon Footprint Concrete
Canada Research Chairs

• Fact Cement industry accounts for 8 of total
  green house gases. Every ton of cement production
  releases 1 ton of CO2 and consumes 4GJ of
  energy.
• Bio-Inspired, Green Concretes with Zero Carbon
  Footprint
• Dream Concrete with up to 50 cement replaced
  by industrial by-products such as fly-ash, silica
  fume and blast furnace slag and virgin aggregate
  replaced by recycled aggregate, recycled
  automobile tires, and other post-consumer wastes.
  
• Reinforced against cracking by recycled
  cellulose, polymeric and natural fibers.

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Canadian Network of Centers of Excellence
Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures
(ISIS)

• Network of 18 Universities with over 100 million
  in funding
• Objective To make structures last 100 years
  instead of 50 years

• How is this accomplished?
• Replace steel with Non-Corrosive Fiber Reinforced
  Polymers (FRPs) for both New Construction and
  Strengthening of Old Structures
• Structural Health Monitoring using Advanced
  Sensors (e.g. Fiber Optic Sensors and
  Piezoelectric/ Piezoresistive Sensors with
  Nano-Tubes) and Continuous Interrogation over the
  Internet.

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Replace Steel Rebar with Fiber Reinforced
Polymers for New Construction and Repair
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Sensors for Structures
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Beddington Trail Bridge, Calgary, Alberta (Carbon
Fiber Reinforced Polymer Tendons -- instead of
steel)
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Beddington Trail Bridge, Calgary, Alberta (Carbon
Fiber Reinforced Polymer Tendons -- instead of
steel)
FRP Tendons
Bragg Grating Sensors
Dynamic Sensor Response to 3-Axle Truck Load
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Bridge Decks
Wotton Bridge, Que
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Provencher Bridge, Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Bridge Sensors

• Abutments and Bearings
• Four High Precision Inclinometers
• Pylon
• 2 High Precision Inclinometers
• 30 Electric Strain Gauges
• 18 Fibre Optic Sensors
• 6 Tri-Axial Accelerometers
• Wide Angle Web Camera
• Bridge Deck
• 13 Unidirectional Accelerometers
• 2 Tri-Axial Accelerometers
• 24 Thermocouples
• Wind Monitor
• Center Plaza
• Tri-Axial Accelerometer
• Cable Stays
• 6 Unidirectional Accelerometers

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Sensor Installation
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Data Acquisition / Control Room
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Strengthening and Rehabilitation of Structures
Gentilly-1 Upgrade Ring-beam of nuclear
containment structure with externally bonded FRP
Externally Bonded FRP
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Seismic Strengthening of Structures
Externally Bonded FRP
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Imperatives for a Sustainable Infrastructure

• Green Concrete with a Minimal Carbon Footprint.
• Replacing Traditional Materials with Advanced,
  High Performance, High Durability Materials
• Development of Intelligent Infrastructure with
  Integrated Sensors and Continuous Health
  Monitoring
• Cost Effective Repair/Strengthening Strategies
  for Existing Structures
• Life Cycle Engineering
• Education and Codes

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But Most of All We Need Interdisciplinary Team
Work
Thank You!