The development is part of the MACIC project, which combines various advanced technologies to anticipate the effects of this phenomenon and is proposed as a comprehensive solution to optimise preventive maintenance of facilities such as bridges, refineries and communication towers.
Anticipating the progression of atmospheric corrosion in critical metal infrastructures is one of the major challenges for industrial sectors such as energy, transport and construction. In view of this circumstance, the MACIC (Advanced Corrosion Monitoring for Critical Infrastructure) project will develop and validate a multimodal sensor that will combine physical and electrochemical monitoring technologies with advanced artificial intelligence models to control the evolution of this phenomenon. This comprehensive and innovative solution has been developed in response to a problem that has an annual economic impact of €300 billion in the European Union.
Chatu Tech–Witeklab leads and coordinates a consortium that also includes the Asturian technology centre IDONIAL and the CTC Technology Centre, which will work on the project over the next 36 months. The project has a budget of €380,420, funded through the 2024 Call for Projects in public-private partnership.
The MACIC project introduces a series of key innovations that will transform the preventive maintenance of metal structures such as bridges, refineries and communication towers. In fact, the integration of multiple advanced technologies will enable a comprehensive approach to optimising the performance and service life of these structures.
As part of the project, a multimodal monitoring sensor will be developed, capable of providing an accurate assessment of the condition of the material in real time. Its customised modular design will allow the sensor to be adapted to the specific needs of each environment, ensuring its versatility and ease of integration into multiple configurations.
In addition, real-time data collection will enable early detection of structural failures and optimisation of maintenance strategies. Finally, MACIC will incorporate predictive models based on artificial intelligence, which will analyse the data collected to anticipate the progress of corrosion with high precision, facilitate proactive decision-making and significantly improve the efficiency and safety of the monitored infrastructure.
The project is divided into six work packages, of which Chatu Tech–Witeklab will lead the two related to the study of corrosive media and the design and manufacture of the sensor for field validation.
Corrosion represents one of the greatest challenges for industrial infrastructure and assets worldwide, with an estimated economic impact of €300 billion in the European Union, equivalent to 3.4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). If we apply that percentage to Spain, we are talking about €44 billion in 2023. The implementation of effective management models such as MACIC could reduce costs by between 25 and 30 per cent, as well as significantly promoting the development of the circular economy. In addition to a notable improvement in the safety and reliability of critical infrastructure, its application would reduce unnecessary repairs and optimise the recycling of metallic materials.
