Drones are a constant presence at the Storebælt Bridge. They assist Sund & Bælt in the maintenance of the 18 km long bridge. Proper maintenance, enabled by the drones, helps extend the service life of the bridge.
Although the Storebælt Bridge was completed over 20 years ago, innovation continues. In recent years, Sund & Bælt has focused on digitising the operation of the major infrastructure facilities in collaboration with external technology partners.
It was already clear from the 2018 financial statements that new technology pays off. By using new technology, Sund & Bælt achieved savings of as much as DKK 35 million on operation and maintenance over the year. Indeed, our ambition is to achieve further savings of 2 per cent per year on operation and maintenance. Sund & Bælt also expects that with the right maintenance strategy for digital operation and maintenance, it will be possible to extend the service life of the bridge.
"We’ve promised that the bridge will stand for at least 100 years, but it is not impossible that it will stand for 200 years if we maintain it in the right way,” says Mikkel Hemmingsen, CEO Sund & Bælt.
New algorithms predict concrete repairs
Drones, robots and sensors are examples of the greater focus on technology. In recent years, Sund & Bælt has had drones flying around the Storebælt Bridge to take thousands of pictures of the concrete. The collected images and data are stored in a digital platform called PAI (Photographic Asset Inspection), which through algorithms identifies the damage in the concrete that needs to be repaired.
“Concrete does not deteriorate like that overnight. It happens very slowly. The skill is to predict the damage that needs to be remedied a long time in advance,” says Mikkel Hemmingsen.
The algorithms allow Sund & Bælt to decide which concrete damage requires focus. This also means that fewer engineers are needed to climb the bridge to inspect it.
The PAI solution is used in Sund & Bælt's daily operation and maintenance of the major infrastructure facilities. More specifically, its application has resulted in streamlined and improved inspection of the Storebælt Bridge's concrete surfaces.
“We have promised that the bridge will last for at least 100 years, but it is not impossible that it can last for 200 years if we maintain it really well”
Danish knowledge should be shared with the whole world
By making the Storebælt Bridge a focal point for the development and deployment of new technology, Sund & Bælt’s long-term ambition is to share the solution with other bridge and infrastructure owners across the world.
The algorithm, which distinguishes between and analyses the different concrete surfaces, can only be strengthened by adding more images of the concrete surfaces. Data learns from data - which creates a basis for Sund & Bælt to establish exciting collaborations with Danish and international partners.