Interpreting data from bridge performance and health monitoring systems

Abstract

Structural health monitoring (SHM), particular for highway bridges, is a fertile research area for academics and a potentially very useful tool for bridge management authorities. The academic approach often focuses on sensor technology, data collection, detecting visible and invisible damage and areas that may not be of immediate use to the practical operators who need condensed information for decision making. The steps in the process such as data management, data mining, conversion to knowledge of structural behaviour and integrity are frequently absent, and even the most operationally successful SHM systems may lack the component where deep understanding on the nature of the bridge performance is obtained. This paper presents experience gained in a number of bridge monitoring exercises where static and dynamic response data have been interpreted, with or without the aid of calibrated structural models, in order to characterise the mechanisms at work and the experiences of the structure. Hence, while considerable experience has been gained in pure signal analysis, we are also merging the SHM data with dynamically calibrated FE models in an approach which we believe to be the way forward for future SHM systems.