Transforming bridge safety with real-time structural health monitoring in West Virginia

Overview

West Virginia is home to numerous bridges in need of closer oversight, with nearly 1 in 5 identified as requiring targeted structural improvements. Traditional bridge inspection methods, often limited to biannual site visits, fall short in capturing evolving structural behavior, especially in cable-stayed bridges located in high-risk environments.

To modernize this approach, the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOH) launched a transformative structural health monitoring (SHM) initiative, funded by the FY 2022 SMART Grant, aimed at bringing real-time data intelligence to bridge maintenance and safety.

The pilot site: the East Huntington/Gunner Gatski Bridge, a cable-stayed structure spanning the Ohio River, linking Huntington, WV, with Proctorville, OH. Carrying over 14,000 vehicles daily, this bridge plays a critical role in regional commerce and transportation, making it an ideal candidate for continuous wireless bridge monitoring.

In collaboration with Move Solutions, Marshall University, and HNTB, WVDOH implemented a state-of-the-art wireless sensor network powered by MyMove, Move Solutions’ proprietary IoT monitoring platform. The result: a real-time data ecosystem that not only improves bridge safety but also sets a scalable precedent for infrastructure resilience.

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Challenge and objectives

Cable-stayed bridges are among the most complex structures to inspect, particularly due to the stay cables being enclosed in sheaths, making visual inspections difficult and costly. This complexity is intensified by West Virginia’s climate, seismic risk, river traffic, and aging infrastructure.

Key objectives of the SHM deployment included:

• Reduce the need for special inspections and help reduce inspection costs  

• Real-time alerts for critical events such as earthquakes or barge impacts

• A data-driven maintenance strategy to maximize repair budgets

• A scalable SHM framework for use across the state

WVDOH conducted a risk-based assessment before installation, prioritizing the “20% of components that cause 80% of failures.” The result: a system focused on high-risk zones for targeted interventions.

Solution implementation

Installed over a four-day period in November 2024, the SHM system includes 57 battery-powered wireless sensors, all fully integrated into the MyMove platform. This multi-sensor solution captures both macro and micro structural behaviors, providing engineers with unprecedented insight into bridge health in real time.

Installed sensors included:

• 20 accelerometers on cables to monitor vibration patterns and dynamic behavior

• 19 accelerometers on the deck and towers to track modal response

• 6 tiltmeters to detect rotational movement and long-term drift

• 4 crackmeters to monitor concrete crack propagation

• 6 displacement sensors to track joint and bearing functionality

• A weather station monitoring wind speed, temperature, and direction

• A collision detection system to identify vessel impacts

• A wireless gateway for long-range, real-time data transmission

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Sensor data is continuously relayed to the MyMove dashboard, where WVDOH engineers and project partners can analyze trends, detect anomalies, and respond proactively—without needing to be on-site.

Performance highlights

The SHM system has already demonstrated substantial value:

• Seismic Monitoring: On December 16, 2024, sensors recorded data during a 3.3-magnitude earthquake near Chesapeake, OH. The MyMove platform confirmed unchanged modal behavior, indicating no damage—eliminating the need for a costly field inspection.

• Fatigue Damage Detection: Data revealed vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) on several stay cables—an issue known to degrade dampers. This insight explained previous premature damper failures.

• Maintenance Optimization: Sensor alerts and frequency trend analysis enabled WVDOH to prioritize inspection of West Cable 18, where a frequency drop indicated potential stiffness loss.

• Cost Avoidance: Avoiding another round of damper replacements (previously costing over $640K) proved the ROI of real-time SHM data—even within the first year of use.

Academic and strategic partenerships

The collaboration with Marshall University has made the East Huntington Bridge an active learning lab. Faculty and students are using SHM data to conduct cutting-edge research in structural behavior, predictive analytics, and machine learning applications for infrastructure resilience.

The partnership also supports:

• STEM curriculum integration

• Internship and thesis opportunities

• Public outreach on smart infrastructure

• Workforce pipeline development in SHM and IoT systems
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A model for smart infrastructure

The West Virginia SHM Project is more than a tech deployment - it’s a strategic shift in how infrastructure is maintained, protected, and communicated about. It sets a precedent for leveraging real-time IoT data to transform risk management, optimize budget use, and safeguard public trust.

"This project demonstrates that even with limited budgets, investing in smart, data-driven SHM solutions can maximize the value of every maintenance dollar—improving safety, reducing costly surprises, and helping owners make more informed, strategic decisions for the future." — Andrew Foden, PhD, PE (National Practice Consultant – Structure, HNTB Corporation)

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