Bridge Load Rating Using Dynamic Response
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29, Issue 4
Abstract
Proposed herein is a method for load rating of prestressed box beam (PSBB) bridges based on their dynamic response collected using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The hypothesis states that the health of a bridge is associated with its vibration signatures. Two WSNs were deployed on a 25-year-old PSBB bridge, and trucks were run with variable loads and speeds for collecting its real-time dynamic response at current condition. Also performed were finite-element (FE) simulations of 3D bridge models under vehicular loads to acquire the representative dynamic response at its newest condition. The bridge model was validated by field testing and numerical analysis. The fast Fourier transform and peak-picking algorithms were used to find maximum peak amplitudes and their corresponding frequencies. The in-service stiffness of the bridge was calculated to determine its load rating, which resembles the actual load rating of the bridge. The application software developed from this research can instantly determine the load rating of a PSBB bridge by collecting its real-time dynamic response. The research outcome will help reduce bridge maintenance costs and increase public safety.
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Acknowledgments
The researchers would like to thank the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for funding this research. The researchers would also like to express sincere gratitude and thanks towards Mahoning, Ashtabula, and Trumbull County personnel and Ohio State Highway Patrol officers for their valuable support during the data collection on both bridges. They greatly acknowledge and appreciate the financial support provided by the Youngstown State University Center for Transportation and Materials Engineering.
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© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 11, 2014
Accepted: Apr 21, 2014
Published online: Sep 4, 2014
Discussion open until: Feb 4, 2015
Published in print: Aug 1, 2015
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