Award Winning Technology
Wall Street Journal’s Technology Innovation Awards Program
LifeSpan Technologies was recognized as a runner-up in the category of ‘Materials and Other Base Technologies’. There were hundreds of entries from nearly two dozen countries vying for awards in this prestigious program. Needless to say, the competition was intense. This is the sixth year that Dow Jones (publisher of the Wall Street Journal) has operated this program.
Quoting from the Wall Street Journal, ‘Judges selected Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, as well as giving out an Honorable Mention award. They also named winners in each of 12 categories and a total of 20 runners-up. Around 750 applications were screened by a Wall Street Journal editor, who narrowed the field to 104 semifinalists. Then a panel of expert judges from industry, research organizations and academia scored each entry and picked the winners. Entries were judged on two main criteria: Does the innovation represent a breakthrough from conventional ideas or methods in its field, and does it go beyond incremental improvements on technologies that already exist?
Technology Association of Georgia TOP 40 Innovative Technology Companies
LifeSpan Technologies was named one of the TOP 40 Innovative Technology Companies for 2014 by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
TAG is the premier association of technology-based firms in Georgia. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances Georgia’s tech-based economy. With over 22,000 members and 2,000 member companies, TAG is also an economic development engine for Georgia and the Southeast region. Now 15 years old, TAG is headquartered in Atlanta with five affiliated chapters across Georgia
I.T.S. America Smart Solution Spotlight Award
A Smart Solution: Sensor Technologies that Provide Agencies with Real-Time, Actionable Information on Bridge Infrastructure Conditions.
Washington —ITS America presented a Smart Solution Spotlight award today to Alpharetta, Georgia–based LifeSpan Technologies for pioneering cost-effective structural monitoring technologies that provide state and local agencies with precise, objective information about the structural condition of bridges – information that could be used to monitor and evaluate the condition of tens of thousands of structurally deficient bridges across the country.
“Today’s economic reality is that most state and local governments have far too many infrastructure needs and too little money to keep up with increasing demands on our transportation system,” said Scott Belcher, President and CEO of ITS America, who presented the award to LifeSpan Technologies for their innovative use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to create a safe, clean, efficient and sustainable transportation system.
“By investing in smart technologies to help manage their infrastructure, public agencies can better leverage scarce resources to focus on the most critical needs, hopefully avoiding another tragedy like the Minneapolis I-35W bridge collapse,” continued Belcher.
Using sensors, wireless and information technologies, LifeSpan Technologies provides public agencies with the ability to continuously monitor and deliver real-time information to decision makers about changes in bridge conditions. Sensors can monitor a multitude of conditions including crack growth, strain, and relative movement which could indicate a potential or imminent structural problem with the bridge.
Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation of the Year Award
Frost & Sullivan’s 2006 Product Innovation of the Year Award in the field of structural health monitoring solutions goes to LifeSpan Technologies, Inc. in recognition of the company’s efforts in creating versatile, innovative products that conduct real-time structural monitoring with superior precision and reliability. LifeSpan’s custom configured product solutions, such as the PeakStrain sensor, embedded with the company’s proprietary sensor technology, are helping asset owners cost effectively manage their infrastructure assets.
In general, what differentiates LifeSpan’s monitoring solutions from conventional structural monitoring techniques is the fact that they are meant to be used on structural assets for years, as part of a consistent, long-term monitoring scheme. On the other hand, many conventional simple strain or displacement sensors, albeit lightweight and inexpensive, can be only used for a relatively small testing timeline.
Frost & Sullivan acknowledges LifeSpan Technologies’ development of advanced structural health monitoring product solutions that are reliable, cost-efficient, and that give asset owners full control of their facilities. LifeSpan’s diligent product development process, done with an in-depth understanding of end-user requirements has helped innovative solutions such as the PeakStrain sensor. Because of these reasons, the company is recognized with the Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year.
Construction Innovation Forum NOVA Award
LifeSpan Technologies’ predecessor company, Strain Monitor Systems, received the NOVA Award in March 1998. The NOVA Award is considered the ‘Nobel Prize’ for innovation in construction and is presented each year by the Construction Innovation Forum. The Construction Innovation Forum instituted the NOVA Award in 1989 to recognize innovations that have proven to be significant advances that have had positive, important effects on construction to improve quality and reduce costs. NOVA Awards have been awarded to advances in all areas of the construction industry, including innovations in the construction process, and in materials, design, detailing, fabrication, equipment, procurement, contract administration, management, labor relations, training, and safety that improve the construction process.
The CERF Charles Pankow Award for Innovation
LifeSpan Technologies’ predecessor company was also the 1997 winner of the Charles Pankow Innovative Concept Award, presented annually by the Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF) an affiliate of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The CERF Charles Pankow Award for Innovation was established in 1996 to complement existing industry awards. Named for industry visionary Charles J. Pankow, the Award recognizes organizations working collaboratively to bring innovative civil engineering ideas into practice. As a leader in the civil engineering industry for almost 50 years, Pankow was instrumental in launching CERF, and he served as one of the Foundation’s first Board members and as Chairman of CERF’s New Century Partnership.