Project will utilise muons to assess aging infrastructure

Glasgow University’s Dr David Mahon has received £459,000 from UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to support the project, which aims to reduce the cost and environmental impact of repairs to road and rail bridges by enabling earlier detection of structural problems.

One way to do this is to track the movement of muons through a structure. Muons are particles crated when cosmic rays collide with the nuclei of the gases found in the planet’s atmosphere.

When muons strike objects on earth, they are deflected very slightly from their course. The amount of deflection depends on the chemical composition of the object they hit, with heavier elements causing greater deflection.

Measuring the deflection patterns over time, paired with computer analysis, allows researchers to build up detailed 3D images of structures which are impossible to produce using other non-destructive techniques like X-rays.

Lynkeos Technology Ltd, a spinout from Glasgow University, is already using muography techniques developed by Dr Mahon and colleagues to help the nuclear industry map the locations of pieces of radioactive waste stored in concrete-filled containers at some of the UK’s nuclear power plants.