Forth Road Bridge: Acoustic sensors monitor internal wire fractures as corrosion halts
Engineers have successfully slowed corrosion in the Forth Road Bridge’s main cables by pumping dry air through them, reducing internal humidity to below 40%. However, acoustic sensors continue to detect individual steel wire fractures, with 93 breaks logged by 2015 and a spike of 24 breaks in a single cable shortly after. While the bridge’s strength loss is estimated at 8-10%, the drying process has prevented further degradation, allowing the structure to remain open for non-motorized traffic.