A Novel Low-Cost GNSS Solution for the Real-Time Deformation Monitoring of Cable Saddle Pushing: A Case Study of Guojiatuo Suspension Bridge

Abstract

Extreme loadings, a hostile environment and dangerous operation lead to the unsafe state of bridges under construction, especially large-span bridges. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) tend to be the best choice for real-time deformation monitoring due to the significant advantage of automation, continuation, all-weather operation and high precision. Unfortunately, the traditional geodetic GNSS instrument with its high price and large volume is limited in its applications. Hence, we design and develop low-cost GNSS equipment by simplifying the monitoring module. The performance of the proposed solution is evaluated through an experimental dynamic scenario, proving its ability to track abrupt deformation down to 3–5 mm. We take Chongqing Guojiatuo Suspension Bridge in China as a case study. We build a real-time low-cost GNSS monitoring cloud platform. The low-cost bridge GNSS monitoring stations are located at the top of the south and north towers, midspan upstream and downstream respectively and the reference station is located in the stable zone 400 m away from the bridge management buildings. We conducted a detailed experimental assessment of low-cost GNSS on 5 April and a real-time deformation detection experiment of the towers and main cables during the dynamic cable saddle pushing process on 26 February 2022. In the static experiment, the standard deviation of the residual using the multi-GNSS solution is 2 mm in the horizontal direction and 5 mm in the vertical direction. The multi-GNSS solution significantly outperforms the BDS/GPS single system. The dynamic experiment shows that, compared with the movement measured by the robotic total station, the horizontal error of the south tower and north tower measured by low-cost GNSS is below 0.005 m and 0.008 m respectively. This study highlights the potential of low-cost GNSS solutions for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applications.

A Cost-Effective GNSS Solution for Continuous Monitoring of Landslides

“…In a few studies, low-cost GNSS receivers have been used for monitoring natural hazards [23,24], engineering structures [25][26][27][28][29], and even crustal deformation studies [30]. Notti et al [24] conducted continuous monitoring of the slope which causes deformations in the Madonna del Sasso Sanctuary in Italy using low-cost GNSS devices.…”

Evaluation of the single-frequency variometric approach based on low-cost GNSS observations and different satellite combinations for detecting short-term dynamic behaviors

“…The applicability of low-cost GNSS receivers in various fields, such as positioning, marine, and atmospheric studies, has been demonstrated [22][23][24]. Furthermore, recent investigation has emphasized that the deformations can be monitored with low-cost GNSS receivers [25], and they are used effectively in SHM systems [20,21,[26][27][28]. Moreover, about five years ago, u-blox, a Swiss company, released a dual-frequency GNSS receiver, the ZED-F9P, costing approximately USD 200 [19].…”

An GNSS/INS Integrated Navigation Algorithm Based on PSO-LSTM in Satellite Rejection

“…Navigation system refers to the general term of all equipment combinations that can complete certain navigation and positioning tasks. At present, the main navigation systems include radio navigation system [1,2], satellite navigation system [3][4][5], astronomical navigation system [6], inertial navigation system [7,8] and integrated navigation system [9][10][11], etc.…”