Performance monitoring of a short-span integral-abutment bridge using wireless sensor technology

Discussed in this paper is the implementation of a wireless sensor system for performance monitoring of bridges. The advanced wireless sensor system, developed at Clarkson University's Laboratory for Intelligent Infrastructure and Transportation Technologies (LIITT), allows for structural monitoring of bridges. A short-span integral-abutment bridge located in New York State is instrumented with a wireless sensor system measuring acceleration, and strain to monitor the behavior of the structure under various loading conditions including ambient, environmental and traffic loading. Strain and acceleration measurements are recorded simultaneously and in real time to validate various performance characteristics of the bridge, including load distribution along an interior girder, as well as additional stiffness factors (end fixity and composite action of the beams and bridge deck), using existing bridge load testing and condition evaluation guidelines used by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Additionally, acceleration measurements are used to extract the superstructure's first five natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes. Results are compared to a developed Finite Element Method (FEM) model based on the bridge as built drawings.