III FABRE Conference in Rome, Italy 16 to 19 February 2026

February 22, 2026Non SCSHM Eventsby aftab.mufti@umanitoba.ca

Three distinguished members of the Society for Civil Structural Health Monitoring (SCSHM) were invited as featured participants at the 3rd FABRE Conference 2026, held in Rome, Italy, from 16–19 February 2026. The delegation included Professor Farhad Ansari, Dr. Srinivas Alampalli, and Professor Aftab Mufti, each recognized internationally for their contributions to structural health monitoring and bridge evaluation.

The conference brought together experts from around the world to discuss advancements in bridge engineering, monitoring technologies, and infrastructure resilience. Among the SCHM representatives, Professor Farhad Ansari delivered a keynote address highlighting state-of-the-art fibre‑optic–based monitoring systems. His presentation showcased how fibre‑optic sensing has evolved into a powerful tool for real‑time assessment of structural behaviour, offering unprecedented precision, durability, and long‑term stability for monitoring complex infrastructure.

During a high-level roundtable session, Dr. Srinivas Alampalli provided an overview of bridge evaluation practices in the United States. Drawing on decades of experience, he outlined current methodologies, policy frameworks, and innovative technologies being adopted to enhance safety and inform rehabilitation strategies across the American bridge network.

Representing Canada, Professor Aftab Mufti discussed the evaluation of Canadian bridges, emphasizing the country’s leadership in structural health monitoring research and implementation. His remarks highlighted successful pilot projects, long-term monitoring initiatives, and the integration of advanced sensing systems to support evidence‑based decision-making in bridge management.

Together, the contributions of Professors Ansari and Mufti and Dr. Alampalli underscored the critical role of structural health monitoring in ensuring the safety, longevity, and resilience of global transportation infrastructure. Their participation reinforced SCHM’s prominent position in advancing knowledge and practice within the international engineering community.

Farhad Ansari’s Keynote Speech

During the Fabre26 conference in Rome, Italy, Professor Farhad Ansari delivered a keynote speech regarding the condition assessment of bridges with optical fibers. The main goal of the presentation was to provide principles of civil structural health monitoring (CSHM) using optical fiber sensors and to highlight the importance of establishing tailored monitoring strategies for individual projects. The presentation began by highlighting the benefits of CSHM for ensuring safety, establishing cost-effective maintenance strategies for bridges, and understanding the actual structural behavior during operations. Several practical examples were provided, including the development and use of and FBG-based sensor for monitoring of scour, for monitoring the weights of trucks on Bridges (BWIM), quantifying the development of the plastic hinge zones of bridge columns during earthquake shaking table experiments, remote monitoring and safety assessment of the Brooklyn Bridge, distributed monitoring of cable stays in a cable-stayed bridges, and load testing of a 5-span bridge by using distributed optical fiber sensors. In conclusion, further information was provided pertaining to the construction of the scaled model of the Messina Strait Bridge in the CSHM laboratory of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

Professor Farhad Ansari

Sreenivas Alampalli Roundtable Presentation

Sreenivas summarized the current state of SHM and related standards in the United States, noting that no nationwide specifications exist. He highlighted key guidance documents—such as the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation and TRB e‑circulars on SHM and load testing—that support the use of NDE and SHM in inspections and load testing. He outlined ongoing national efforts to develop performance‑based specifications and to integrate SHM and NDE data into inspection and asset‑management systems, enabling more informed condition ratings and rehabilitation or replacement decisions.

He also reviewed current SHM practices in the U.S., major technological advances in sensing over the past two decades, and the foundational principles that remain unchanged. He concluded with a proposed three‑tier inspection framework driven by AI, digital twins, robotics, and data analytics: satellite‑based network monitoring as tier one, SHM systems and unmanned/robotic platforms as tier two, and targeted visual inspections as the final decision‑making tier.

Dr. Sreenivas Alampalli

Aftab Mufti Roundtable Presentation

Aftab Mufti described Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code of section 14 – our current method for evaluating bridges relies on three core factors: how the overall system behaves, how individual elements perform, and the level of inspection applied. Together, these factors generate a safety index that falls between 4.0 and 2.5, forming the foundation of our national bridge evaluation standard.

Our research demonstrates why Civil Structural Health Monitoring—CSHM—is essential. Unlike traditional inspections that depend heavily on visual judgment, CSHM provides scientific, data‑driven insight into how a bridge truly behaves. It measures actual performance, not impressions.

To illustrate this, we monitored 101 bridges that had already been condemned based on visual assessments. Using sensors and a calibration truck, we collected objective performance data—and the results were striking. Nearly 80% of these bridges were performing normally. They were safe, yet visual inspection alone had misjudged them. This evidence makes one conclusion unmistakable: CSHM is the most reliable method available for assessing bridge safety. It deserves formal recognition as a new and higher inspection category—Inspection Level 4—in the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.

In closing, the findings from these 101 monitored bridges are compelling. Many structures thought to be unsafe proved to be performing well when evaluated with CSHM. This technology delivers scientific truth, free from subjective interpretation. If we are committed to public safety, accuracy, and responsible stewardship of public funds, then adopting Inspection Level 4 in the CHBDC is essential. CSHM stands as the most objective and scientifically sound approach to evaluating our bridges.