Nothing-on-Road Axle Detection Strategies in Bridge-Weigh-in-Motion for a Cable-Stayed Bridge: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 8
Abstract
This case-study article aims to share the field-test observations of a real-world cable-stayed bridge with the research community of bridge-weigh-in-motion to address the challenges of axle identification. Various structural members of the bridge, including cables, girders, and the deck, were instrumented with strain gauges at different locations to measure the axial, bending, or shear strain responses. Numerous field tests were conducted by running light and heavy vehicles traveling at different speeds, in different traffic directions, and in different lateral locations on the bridge. Because the identification of closely spaced axles is important to ensuring true classification of the vehicles, vehicles with tandem- and tridem-axle configurations were adopted in the field test. The study aimed to identify the sensor arrangement through which the closely spaced axles can be reliably detected regardless of the speed, traveling direction, and lateral location of the vehicle on the bridge. It was found that the axial strains on the cables and bending strains in the girders provided the global response of the structure; hence, they were unable to identify the closely spaced axles. In contrast, it was observed that the longitudinal strains under the deck were able to identify the closely spaced axles, provided they were positioned as closely as possible to the wheel path. Finally, the shear responses at the end of the span were able to identify the closely spaced axles irrespective of the traveling direction and lateral location of the vehicle. In this study, due to the testing limitations, including the short span of the bridge and the presence of a roundabout at one end of the bridge, it was not feasible to maintain a constant speed; therefore, identification of axle weight and axle spacing, which requires a constant-speed assumption, is not discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by New South Wales Government in Australia and was undertaken by division Data61 within the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Western Sydney University for the provision of the support and facilities for this research work.
References
Bao, T., S. K. Babanajad, T. Taylor, and F. Ansari. 2016. “Generalized method and monitoring technique for shear-strain-based bridge weigh-in-motion.” J. Bridge Eng. 21 (1): 04015029. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000782.
Blake, L. S. 2013. Civil engineer’s reference book. 4th ed. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.
Chan, T. H. T., S. S. Law, T. H. Yung, and X. R. Yuan. 1999. “An interpretive method for moving force identification.” J. Sound Vib. 219 (1): 503–524.https://doi.org/10.1006/jsvi.1998.1904.
Chan, T. H. T., L. Yu, and S. S. Law. 2000. “Comparative studies on moving force identification from bridge strains in laboratory.” J. Sound Vib. 235 (1): 87–104. https://doi.org/10.1006/jsvi.2000.2909.
Chang, C. C., T. Y. P. Chang, and Q. W. Zhang. 2001. “Ambient vibration of long-span cable-stayed bridge.” J. Bridge Eng. 6 (1): 46–53. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2001)6:1(46).
Chatterjee, P., E. J. O’Brien, Y. Li, and A. González. 2006. “Wavelet domain analysis for identification of vehicle axles from bridge measurements.” Comput. Struct. 84 (1): 1792–1801.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2006.04.013.
Helmi, K., T. Taylor, and F. Ansari. 2015. “Shear force–based method and application for real-time monitoring of moving vehicle weights on bridges.” J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct. 26 (5): 505–516.https://doi.org/10.1177/1045389X14529612.
Jacob, B., and V. Feypell-de La Beaumelle. 2010. “Improving truck safety: Potential of weigh-in-motion technology.” IATSS Res. 34 (1): 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2010.06.003.
Kalhori, H., M. M. Alamdari, X. Zhu, B. Samali, and S. Mustapha. 2017a. “Non-intrusive schemes for speed and axle identification in bridge-weigh-in-motion systems.” Meas. Sci. Technol. 28 (2): 025102. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/aa52ec.
Kalhori, H., M. M. Alamdari, X. Zhu, and B. Samali. 2017b. “Traffic data collection using a bridge-weigh-in-motion system in a cable-stayed bridge.” In Proc. of Austroads Bridge Conf. Sydney, Australia: Autoroads.
Kalin, J., A. Žnidarič, and I. Lavrič. 2006. “Practical implementation of nothing-on-the-road bridge weigh-in-motion system.” In Proc., Int. Symp. on Heavy Vehicle Weights and Dimensions, 3–10. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Conference Organising Committee.
Law, S. S., T. H. T. Chan, and Q. H. Zeng. 1997. “Moving force identification: A time domain method.” J. Sound Vib. 201 (1): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1006/jsvi.1996.0774.
Law, S. S., T. H. T. Chan, and Q. H. Zeng. 1999. “Moving force identification—A frequency and time domains analysis.” J. Dyn. Syst. Meas. Contr. 121 (3): 394–401.https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2802487.
Law, S. S., and X. Q. Zhu. 2000. “Study on different beam models in moving force identification.” J. Sound Vib. 234 (4): 661–679.https://doi.org/10.1006/jsvi.2000.2867.
Lechner, B., M. Lieschnegg, O. Mariani, M. Pircher, and A. Fuchs. 2010. “A wavelet-based bridge weigh-in-motion system.” Int. J. Smart Sens. Intel. Syst. 3 (4): 573–591.
Lydon, M., S. E. Taylor, D. Robinson, A. Mufti, and E. J. O’Brien. 2016. “Recent developments in bridge weigh in motion (B-WIM).” J. Civ. Struct. Health Monit. 6 (1): 69–81.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-015-0119-6.
Moses, F. 1979. “Weigh-in-motion system using instrumented bridges.” J. Transp. Eng. 105 (3): 233–249.
O’Brien, E. J., D. Hajializadeh, N. Uddin, D. Robinson, and R. Opitz. 2012. “Strategies for axle detection in bridge weigh-in-motion systems.” In Proc., 6th Int. Conf. on Weigh-in-Motion, 79–88. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
O’Brien, E. J., C. W. Rowley, A. González, and M. F. Green. 2009. “A regularised solution to the bridge weigh-in-motion equations.” Int. J. Heavy Veh. Syst. 16 (3): 310–327.https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHVS.2009.027135.
O’Brien, E. J., and A. Znidaric. 2001. Weighing-in-motion of axles and vehicles for Europe (WAVE). Rep. of Work Package 1.2, Bridge WIM Systems. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Zavod za gradbenistvo.
O’Brien, E. J., A. Znidaric, and A. T. Dempsey. 1999. “Comparison of two independently developed bridge weigh–in–motion systems.” Int. J. Heavy Veh. Syst. 6 (1–4): 147–161.https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHVS.1999.054503.
Ojio, T., C. H. Carey, E. J. O’Brien, C. Doherty, and S. E. Taylor. 2016. “Contactless bridge weigh-in-motion.” J. Bridge Eng. 21 (7): 04016032. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000776.
Ojio, T., K. Yamada, and H. Shinkai. 2000. “BWIM systems using truss bridges.” In Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Bridge Management, 378–385. London: Thomas Telford.
Peters, R. J. 1984. “AXWAY—A system to obtain vehicle axle weights.” In Proc., 12th Australian Road Research Board Conf., 10–18. Vermont South, Victoria, Australia: Australian Road Research Board.
Sun, M., M. M. Alamdari, and H. Kalhori. 2017. “Automated operational modal analysis of a cable-stayed bridge.” J. Bridge Eng. 22 (12): 05017012. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001141.
Walther, R. 1999. Cable stayed bridges. London: Thomas Telford.
Wang, T.-L., and D. Huang. 1992. “Cable-stayed bridge vibration due to road surface roughness.” J. Struct. Eng. 118 (5): 1354–1374. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1992)118:5(1354).
Yu, Y., C. S. Cai, and L. Deng. 2015. “Vehicle axle identification using wavelet analysis of bridge global responses.” J. Vib. Control 23 (17): 2830–2840.
Znidaric, A., and W. Baumgartner. 1998. “Bridge weigh-in-motion systems-An overview.” In Proc., 2nd European Conf. on Weigh-in-Motion of Road Vehicles, 139–151. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Znidaric, A., I. Lavric, and J. Kalin. 2002. “Free-of-axle detector bridge WIM measurements on short slab bridges.” In Proc., 3rd Int. Weigh-in-Motion Conf., 231–239. Ames, IA: Iowa State Univ.
Znidaric, A., I. Lavric, and J. Kalin. 2005. “Nothing-on-the-road axle detection with threshold analysis.” In Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Weigh-in-Motion. Taipei, Taiwan: National Taiwan Univ.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 8 • August 2018
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 30, 2016
Accepted: Jan 29, 2018
Published online: Jun 13, 2018
Published in print: Aug 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Nov 13, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.