


''After water levels stabilized, we were able to use the system again to confirm again that there were no scour issues that needed to be addressed before opening a bridge to traffic.'' ''Even while water levels were still on the rise in the flooded areas, we were able to get EMILY in the water to determine if scour was getting worse in some locations,'' said MDOT Bay Region Bridge Engineer Paul Schiefer. EMILY played a role in the rapid response. MDOT focused emergency repair efforts on freeways carrying the highest traffic volumes, working to restore mobility to impacted communities as quickly and safely as possible. More than 10,000 households were evacuated in Midland County over a 24-hour period. At its peak, more than 20 state trunkline and local bridges were impacted by flooding, resulting in immediate closures to protect the motoring public. Midland, Gladwin, Saginaw, Arenac, and Iosco counties were declared disaster areas after several days of heavy rain and multiple dam failures. It can be equipped with sonar to allow inspectors to take depth measurements and a topside camera to view the underside of bridges.ĭuring the unprecedented flood event that struck Michigan in May 2020, MDOT used EMILY to help perform preliminary inspections of bridges across the area. Results showed it could be safer, less labor-intensive and, in some cases, less costly than traditional techniques.Ī powerful, durable, maneuverable water-jet-powered device, EMILY is about 4 1/2 feet long, 2 feet wide and a foot tall. Scour is a leading cause of bridge failure.Īfter a 2016 study, MDOT has deployed EMILY units in the field to measure bridge scour and inspect bridges and culverts where access is limited. Sonar EMILY (EMergency Integrated LanYard) is a remote-piloted boat that MDOT has been using to combat bridge scour, the degradation of the streambed around bridge abutments due to water currents. ASCE combed through successful infrastructure solutions across the country to identify 13 of the most innovative examples.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently named the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) use of unmanned remote-controlled boats for bridge inspection to the group's list of ''Infrastructure Gamechangers'' for 2021. Ma- It's a big recognition for a little boat. Unmanned surface vehicles can be much safer and less labor-intensive than traditional bridge inspection methods.Sonar EMILY is a remote-piloted boat that MDOT has been using to combat bridge scour, the degradation of the streambed around bridge abutments due to water currents.The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently named the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) use of unmanned remote-controlled boats for bridge inspection to the group's list of ''2021 Infrastructure Gamechangers.''.
