Queen’s University students using Waaban Crossing for research – Kingston | 24CA News

Kingstonians are getting used to the Waaban Crossing, which is anticipated to deal with hundreds of automobiles a day.

Now, researchers from Queen’s University need to be certain that the brand new bridge can deal with it, with a “stress test.”

Or, extra particularly, to grasp the consequences that climate has on the construction over the long run.

“We’ve installed a series of sensors on the bearings of the bridge. The bearings are there to allow the bridge to expand and contract under those changes in temperature,” mentioned Josh Woods, one of many two engineering researchers heading up the undertaking.

It appears easy sufficient, however the undertaking has been occurring since final summer season, together with spending components of 5 months hanging off the facet of the bridge within the chilly whereas putting in the sensors, one thing Isabel Heykoop says she gained’t be forgetting quickly.

“I’m not too much of a thrill-seeker but being at that height was pretty exciting to be out there. It was cold, it was freezing, so we were shaking,” mentioned Heykoop, the opposite half of the undertaking’s mind.

Woods mentioned the bridge itself has a 100-year service life however the information he and Heykoop accumulate will be utilized to comparable, future initiatives to assist enhance security.

“Obviously, our primary objective is to ensure that a bridge is safe for its users, but we also want to make sure that it’s durable over the long term,” he mentioned.

However, he added that there’s no cause to stress with regards to the Waaban Crossing’s security.

“A project like the third crossing, a massive infrastructure project, there are really no major threats to worry about. This bridge has been designed with a 100-year service life, and so we don’t expect to find anything major,” he mentioned.

While it would take a while earlier than the info from this endeavour turns into obtainable and will be utilized, Heykoop says they’re excited for the chance, including that the undertaking is one thing that ties her to town eternally.

“It’ll be something that, hopefully, I can share with my family and my friends and maybe one day my children, so it’ll be exciting to just, kind of, show everyone what I’ve been able to develop and see it in the long term.”

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