How accurately can the “Bridge Buster” actually measure the forces being applied to the bridge?
The force is calculated by measuring air pressure being applied to the pneumatic cylinder which is stressing the bridge. The air pressure is measured with a sensor certified to +/- 0.1% accuracy. Accounting for small air leaks and something call “stiction” in the pneumatic cylinder, we are reasonably confident forces can be measured to within +/- 1%. This means a 500 lb measured failure force is 500 +/- 5 lbs.
