Bridge Safety Evaluation Based on Monitored Live Load Effects
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 14, Issue 4
Abstract
A novel approach to evaluating safety of existing bridges based on monitored structural responses and component conditions is presented in this paper. A limit state equation is developed for the measured strain data from structural health monitoring (SHM). The new concepts of the condition function, , and prediction function, , are introduced. The condition function is utilized to estimate the strains at locations other than the strain gauge locations. This function is related to the structural condition assessment results, strain gauge locations, and failure modes under consideration. The prediction function is used to predict the extreme values of the SHM data in the future. An illustration of the proposed approach is provided on an existing highway bridge in Pennsylvania, which had been monitored from 2001 to 2005 by the Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems Center, a National Engineering Research Center at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. This study provides the basis for integrating achievable SHM data into structural safety evaluation, and establishes a valid platform for life-cycle, cost-oriented, and reliability-based infrastructure management systems using structural health monitoring.
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Acknowledgments
The support by grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development, through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA) is gratefully acknowledged. The support of the U.S. National Science Foundation through Grant No. NSFCMS-0639428 is also gratefully acknowledged. Finally, the writers gratefully acknowledge the support from the Federal Highway Administration under cooperative Agreement No. UNSPECIFIEDDTFH61-07-H-0040. The writers want to express their profound thanks to Mr. Ian Hodgson, Lehigh University, for providing monitoring data used in Table 1, Figs. 3, 4, 6–11, and 13 and for helpful comments. A fruitful discussion with Dr. Wenliang Lu, a visiting scholar at the ATLSS Center, Lehigh University on his sabbatical from Beijing University of Transportation, China, is highly appreciated. The opinions and conclusions presented in this paper are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 14 • Issue 4 • July 2009
Pages: 257 - 269
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 26, 2008
Accepted: Nov 14, 2008
Published online: Jun 15, 2009
Published in print: Jul 2009
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