Experimental Verification of GFRP Bridge Deck Panels Using an Integrated Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing System
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 28, Issue 5
Abstract
Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are promising materials already being used in bridge construction. Lightweight deck panels, mainly used in the rehabilitation or replacement of existing bridges, are the most commonly used FRP bridge components. However, FRP decks are prone to damage due to delamination, matrix cracking, interlaminar cracking, and debonding. In addition, due to their microstructure, FRP materials tend to deteriorate in ways that are not easily detected by visual inspection. Therefore, nondestructive methods should often complement visual inspections aimed at assessing the technical condition of the structure. New measurement techniques are constantly being researched and developed to assist in the evaluation of FRP structures. Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) has been chosen as the main measurement technique of the newly developed FRP bridge deck panel because this technique provides extended advantages compared to the conventional spot gauges. The concept of a component with an integrated DFOS-based system capable of structural control and detection of overloaded vehicles has been developed and verified both in laboratory conditions. The novelty of the presented approach is that sensors (strain-sensing fibers) are precisely embedded in FRP laminates for simultaneous internal strain and vertical displacement (shape change) measurements and delamination detection. The experimental verification of a full-scale deck under static and dynamic loading is described in the paper. The performance of the DFOS system was verified using reference techniques. The results proved the system to be a reliable tool for diagnosing FRP bridge decks.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The research described in the current paper was performed within the R&D project: “OptiDeck—Intelligent FRP deck system for construction and rehabilitation of road bridge structures, equipped with fibre optic sensors for structural health monitoring and bridge load controlling,” carried out by the Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland. This project was funded by the National Centre for Research and Development, Poland, Warsaw, within the framework of the LIDER Program (Grant Number: LIDER/17/0070/L-9/17/NCBR/2018). The authors show gratitude to the SHM System company [Kraków, Poland, www.shmsystem.pl (accessed on February 27, 2023), www.nerve-sensors.com (accessed on February 27, 2023), working on the “Innovative fibre optic sensor for measuring strain and temperature” project (POIR.01.01.01-00-1154/19)], which was funded by the National Centre for Research and Development within the Intelligent Development Operational Program 2014-2020.
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Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 28 • Issue 5 • October 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 27, 2023
Accepted: Apr 19, 2024
Published online: Jul 23, 2024
Published in print: Oct 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 23, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bridge components
- Bridge decks
- Bridge engineering
- Composite materials
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Decks
- Detection methods
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Fiber reinforced composites
- Fiber reinforced polymer
- Infrastructure construction
- Materials engineering
- Measurement (by type)
- Methodology (by type)
- Polymer
- Research methods (by type)
- Sensors and sensing
- Structural engineering
- Structural systems
- Synthetic materials
- Verification
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