Cracking the Unknown: National Highways Launches ‘Moonshot’ Call for Bridge Inspection Breakthroughs

National Highways is calling on innovators across multiple disciplines to help tackle one of the most persistent challenges in bridge engineering—understanding how cracks form and spread within critical concrete structures.

As part of its Structures Moonshot programme, the organisation has opened a new call for ideas focused on improving how engineers detect and analyse internal cracking in half joint bridges—a known weak point in ageing infrastructure.

A real-world testing ground

At the heart of the initiative is a full-scale bridge sample taken from the decommissioned A14 Huntingdon Railway Viaduct. This rare opportunity allows researchers to trial cutting-edge inspection techniques on a real structure—before it is ultimately dismantled to reveal the “ground truth” behind the data.

The goal is to better understand crack propagation in reinforced concrete, particularly around re-entrant corners where damage can be difficult to detect using traditional inspection methods.

The challenge

While surface inspections and established non-destructive testing (NDT) methods can provide some insight, there remains a significant gap in the ability to:

• Accurately identify and map internal cracking

• Understand crack depth, orientation and continuity

• Deliver consistent and repeatable results across full bridge sections

National Highways is now seeking technologies that can go beyond these limitations—offering more precise, reliable and scalable solutions.

Open to fresh thinking

The call is not limited to conventional engineering approaches. Innovators from fields such as materials science, robotics, geophysics, sensing technologies and data analytics are all encouraged to contribute ideas.

Technologies of interest include those capable of detecting cracks near the surface or deep within structures, particularly from difficult access points such as the soffit. Crucially, solutions must be applicable to real-world reinforced concrete structures, not just laboratory conditions.

A unique opportunity

Selected participants may be invited to take part in funded trials, gaining access to the full-scale bridge sample and working alongside industry experts in a collaborative research environment.

The programme offers a rare chance to directly compare inspection results with physical evidence—helping validate technologies in a way that is rarely possible in live infrastructure settings.

Shaping the future of inspections

The ultimate aim is to identify a small number of promising techniques that could transform how half joint bridges are assessed across the network.

At this stage, National Highways is seeking expressions of interest rather than fully developed proposals, inviting contributors to outline their approach, the type of insights it could deliver, and any relevant experience.

With ageing infrastructure posing increasing challenges, this “moonshot” initiative represents a bold step towards smarter, more reliable inspection methods—and a safer future for the UK’s bridges.