Monitoring, Modeling, and Assessment of a Self-Sensing Railway Bridge during Construction
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 10
Abstract
This study shows how integrating fiber optic sensor (FOS) networks into bridges during the construction stage can be used to quantify preservice performance. Details of the installation of a large FOS network on a new steel–concrete composite railway bridge in the United Kingdom are presented. An overview of the FOS technology, installation techniques, and monitoring program is also presented, and the monitoring results from several construction stages are discussed. A finite-element (FE) model was developed and a phased analysis was carried out to simulate strain development in the bridge during consecutive construction stages. The response of the self-sensing bridge to the time-dependent properties of the concrete deck was evaluated by comparing FOS measurements to predicted results according to several model code formulations implemented in the FE model. The preservice strain distribution due to dead loading is typically assumed to act uniformly along the bridge length; however, the monitoring results revealed that the distribution was highly variable as a result of the complex interactions between gravity loading, bridge geometry, time-dependent concrete properties, and temperature effects. Moment utilization of the main girders and composite beams, during preservice conditions, was assessed and found to be between 19.3 and 24.9% of the respective design cross-section capacities. Quantifying preservice performance via integrated sensing also provided a critical baseline for the bridge, which enables future data-driven condition assessments.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK for funding this research through the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) Innovation and Knowledge Centre (EPSRC Grant EP/L010917/1); the on-site assistance of Jason Shardelow of CSIC; the technical assistance in sensor development, procurement, and deployment planning from Cedric Kechavarzi and Philip Keenan of CSIC; James Oliver, Matthew Timmis, Brad Stanaway, and Phil Holland of Laing O'Rourke, Ruth Platt, and Mike Henwood of Atkins, for providing their invaluable support for this project. Monitoring data related to this publication are available at the University of Cambridge data repository.
References
ACI Committee 209. 2008. Prediction of creep, shrinkage, and temperature effects in concrete structures. ACI 209R-92. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
Barker, R. M., and J. A. Puckett. 1997. Design of highway bridges based on AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
BSI (British Standards Institution). 2004. BS EN 1991-1-5:2003 Eurocode 1. Actions on structure. General actions. Thermal actions. London: BSI.
BSI (British Standards Institution). 2005a. BS EN 1994-2:2005 Eurocode 4. Design of composite steel and concrete structures. General rules and rules for bridges. London: BSI.
BSI (British Standards Institution). 2005b. BS EN 1992-2:2005 Eurocode 2. Design of concrete structures. Concrete bridges. Design and detailing rules. London: BSI.
BSI (British Standards Institution). 2006. BS EN 1993-2:2006 Eurocode 3. Design of steel structures. Steel bridges. London: BSI.
Butler, L. J., N. Gibbons, C. Middleton, and Z. E. B. Elshafie. 2016. “Integrated fibre-optic sensor networks as tools for monitoring strain development in bridges during construction.” In Proc., 19th Congress of IABSE: Challenges in Design and Construction of an Innovative and Sustainable Built Environment, 1762–1770. Zurich, Switzerland: International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.
Capellán, G., J. Martínez, E. Merino, P. García-Arias, D. Arribas, and P. Jiménez. 2016. “Viaduct over River Almonte. Site control and supervision.” In Proc., 19th Congress of IABSE: Challenges in Design and Construction of an Innovative and Sustainable Built Environment, 1850–1857. Zurich, Switzerland: International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.
Catbas, F. N., M. Susoy, and D. M. Frangopol. 2008. “Structural health monitoring and reliability estimation: long span truss application with environmental monitoring data.” Eng. Struct. 30 (9): 2347–2359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2008.01.013.
CEB (Comité Euro-International du Béton). 1993. CEB-FIP model Code 1990: Design code. London: Thomas Telford.
Gibbons, N. et al. 2015. “Monitoring the early age behaviour of prestressed concrete beams using fibre optic sensors.” In Proc., 16th European Bridge Conf. Edinburgh: Engineering Technics Press.
Hedegaard, B. D., C. E. W. French, and C. K. Shield. 2017a. “Time-dependent monitoring and modeling of I-35W St. Anthony Falls bridge. I: Analysis of monitoring data.” J. Bridge Eng. 22 (7): 04017025. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001053.
Hedegaard, B. D., C. E. W. French, and C. K. Shield. 2017b. “Time-dependent monitoring and modeling of I-35W St. Anthony Falls bridge. II: Finite-element modeling.” J. Bridge Eng. 22 (7): 04017026. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001054.
Hendy, C. R., and C. J. Murphy. 2007. Designers’ guide to EN 1993-2 Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures. Part 2: Steel bridges. London: Thomas Telford.
Hendy, C. R., and D. A. Smith. 2015. Designers’ guide to EN 1992-2 Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures. Part 2: Concrete bridges. London: Thomas Telford.
Iles, D. C. 2004. Design guide for steel railway bridges. SCI P318. Berkshire, UK: Steel Construction Institute.
Kreuzer, M. 2006. Strain measurement with fiber Bragg grating sensors. Darmstadt, Germany: HBM.
Le, B., and J. Andrews. 2012. “Railway bridge asset management modelling.” In Proc., Rail Research Association UK Annual Conf., 1–7. London: Rail Research Association UK.
Li, D.-S., H. Li, L. Ren, and G. Song. 2006. “Strain transferring analysis of fiber Bragg grating sensors.” Opt. Eng. 45 (2): 024402. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2173659.
Majumder, M., T. K. Gangopadhyay, A. K. Chakraborty, K. Dasgupta, and D. K. Bhattacharya. 2008. “Fibre Bragg gratings in structural health monitoring—Present status and applications.” Sens. Actuators A 147 (1): 150–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2008.04.008.
Network Rail. 2010. Technical user manual for standard half through underbridges E-type standard detail and design drawings. NR/L2/CIV/020. London: Network Rail.
Network Rail. 2013. A better railway for a better Britain. London: Network Rail.
Neville, A. M. 2011. Properties of concrete. 5th ed. Essex, UK: Pearson Education.
Rodriguez, C., C. Felix, A. Lage, J. Figueiras. 2010. “Development of a long-term monitoring system based on FBG sensors applied to concrete bridges.” Eng. Struct. 32 (8): 1993–2002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2010.02.033.
Smith, I. F. C. 2015. “Grand challenges of structural sensing.” Front. Built Environ. 1: 1–3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2015.00019.
Tennyson, R. C., A. A. Mufti, S. Rizkalla, G. Tadros, and B. Benmokrane. 2001. “Structural health monitoring of innovative bridges in Canada.” Smart Mater. Struct. 10 (3): 560–573. https://doi.org/10.1088/0964-1726/10/3/320.
TNO. 2015. DIANA v.10.1 user’s manual. Edited by J. Manie. The Hague, Netherlands: TNO.
Wan, K. T., C. K. Y. Leung, and N. G. Olson. 2008. “Investigation of the strain transfer for surface-attached optical fiber strain sensors.” Smart Mater. Struct. 17 (3). https://doi.org/10.1088/0964-1726/17/3/035037.
Wang, H. P., P. Xiang, and X. Li. 2016. “Theoretical analysis on strain transfer error of FBG sensors attached on steel structures subjected to fatigue load.” Strain 52 (6): 522–530. https://doi.org/10.1111/str.12195.
Webb, G. T., P. J. Vardanega, and C. R. Middleton. 2014. “Categories of SHM deployments: Technologies and capabilities.” J. Bridge Eng. 20 (11): 04014118. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000735.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 10 • October 2018
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 7, 2017
Accepted: Apr 16, 2018
Published online: Jul 25, 2018
Published in print: Oct 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Dec 25, 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.