A Novel Acceleration-Based Moving Force Identification Algorithm to Detect Global Bridge Damage

Abstract

This paper presents a new moving force identification (MFI) algorithm that uses measured accelerations to infer applied vehicle forces on bridges. Previous MFI algorithms use strain or deflection measurements. Statistics of the inferred forces are used in turn as indicators of global bridge damage. The new acceleration-based MFI algorithm (A-MFI) is validated through numerical simulations with a coupled vehicle-bridge dynamic interaction model programmed in MATLAB. A focussed sensitivity study suggests that results are sensitive to the accuracy of the vehicle velocity data. The inferred Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), calculated by A-MFI, is proposed as the bridge damage indicator. A real weigh-in-motion database is used with a simulation of vehicle/bridge interaction, to validate the concept. Results show that the standard deviation of inferred GVWs has a good correlation with the global bridge damage level.

Application of bridge weigh-in-motion system in bridge health monitoring: a state-of-the-art review

“…Solution of equation (20a) can be found acceptable. 95,153 However, first-order regularization approach can be used to further improve the solution as, 151…”

“…Wang et al 95 came up with a novel acceleration-based MFI algorithm to be used as BHM. It is observed that the equations (20a) and (21) in MFI formulation described earlier, do not take acceleration data as input.…”

“…The AF history can then be obtained by minimizing the error function following the method described by Wang et al 95…”

Vehicle Assisted Bridge Damage Assessment Using Probabilistic Deep Learning

“…With this framework the process of the bridge's excitation becomes relevantly economical and bridge vibration data is only acquired when the vehicle is on the bridge. Moreover, when vehicles are acting as mobile sensors, the measured responses contain all the spatial information of the target bridge, which significantly improves the condition assessment of bridges [5].…”

“…These techniques can be categorised into direct (fixed sensing) or indirect (mobile sensing). Using direct sensing, [5,7] method for bridge damage assessment. Furthermore, in [8,9] the authors utilised the measured rotational response of a bridge under the influence of moving loads for damage assessment.…”