Cestel – Detecting the Beat of the Bridge

Cestel is a world-leading Slovenian company specializing in portable bridge weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems and structural health monitoring (SHM) for bridges. With more than 30 years of experience in bridge measurements, traffic analysis, and infrastructure monitoring, the company contributes to safer roads and bridges while delivering highly accurate data for maintenance, planning, and traffic management.

Since 1999, when Cestel introduced its SiWIM system, the company has conducted more than 5,000 WIM measurements worldwide. Its systems are used by infrastructure owners, structural engineers to monitor heavy vehicles, assess bridge conditions, improve traffic safety, law enforcement agencies and research institutions.

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Systems

SiWIM – Portable Bridge WIM System

SiWIM is the first fully portable, high-speed bridge weigh-in-motion system in the world. It allows them to:

• Measure gross vehicle weight, axle loads, axle spacing, and speed,
• Classify vehicles,
• Collect data on the bridge structure simultaneously,
• Perform short- or long-term measurements without road closures,
• Move the system easily to different locations.

Using strain gauge sensors, SiWIM captures accurate real-time data on both vehicles and bridge responses. Its portability and simplicity make it one of the most practical WIM systems in the world.

Structural Bridge WIM Diagnostic System

Cestel also developed the Structural Bridge WIM Diagnostic System, the first asset management system that combines WIM measurements with structural health monitoring sensors. This system measures the dynamic impact of heavy vehicles on bridges while collecting real-time data on the structure’s health, enabling better bridge assessment and maintenance planning.

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Applications and Benefits

Depending on measurement duration, sensor configuration, and additional equipment, Cestel’s systems can be used for:

• Road maintenance and planning,
• Preselection for enforcement of overloaded vehicles,
• Distribution of WIM data,
• Pavement damage calculation,
• Supervision of dangerous goods transport,
• Planning special transport routes,
• Accurate bridge assessment and continuous monitoring.

Cestel’s systems have been used across 6 continents, 30+countries providing invaluable data to improve safety and infrastructure management.

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Recent Achievements

• OIML type approval for the SiWIM system,
• Significant advances in machine vision, from vehicle classification to detecting dangerous goods placards,
• Successful integration of SHM projects with WIM systems, demonstrating the power of combining vehicle and bridge data.

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Why Cestel

Cestel combines innovation, expertise, and practical solutions to help their clients manage traffic and infrastructure more efficiently. From portable WIM systems to comprehensive SHM diagnostics, they provide the tools to keep bridges and roads safe, well-maintained, and resilient.