Techvation to test new MSU-designed device

STARKVILLE — A technology developed at Mississippi State University will be in action on the University Drive bridge tomorrow as engineers from Techvation Inc. use the device to analyze the condition of the concrete structure, which is located just west of the Hunter Henry Center.

Known as the automatic chain drag system, the portable, three-wheeled, walk-behind unit uses sound waves to test the structural integrity of structures made of concrete. It is designed to reduce the time it takes to inspect bridges and to enhance the accuracy of the inspections.

Huntsville, Ala.-based Techvation Inc. recently signed a licensing agreement with the university for the technology. This week’s test is one of the initial steps the company is taking as it moves the device into the marketplace.

Techvation executives Ivy Pinion and Gary Boudreaux, both Mississippi State graduates, will be on hand for the testing, as well as engineers from MDOT’s bridge division.