Nanotechnology saves bridges

Inexpensive nanosensors might one day be incorporated into buildings, bridges, and other structures to alert engineers wirelessly when problematic cracks occur but before the damage becomes critical. 

According to Mohamed Saafi of North Dakota State University, in Fargo, and colleagues at the National Institute of Applied Sciences, in Tunisia, and Alabama A&M University, weather, aging of materials, earth tremors, and neglect are all processes that can damage civil engineering structures. A continuous wireless monitoring system could improve safety by alerting engineers to potentially catastrophic problems before they cause serious damage.