A SYSTEM FOR MONITORING LIVE LOAD STRAIN IN BRIDGES

An instrumentation system has been developed to measure peak live load strains in bridges due to site specific traffic, over extended periods of time. The system is small, lightweight, battery operated and rapidly deployable. As such, the system is suitable for use in routine bridge inspection and field evaluation. The system has been extensively tested in the laboratory and in field tests of a concrete slab on steel girder bridge. The monitoring system provides a unique statistical measure of the in-situ strain cycles in the bridge: the data collected can be used to conduct fatigue investigations, to determine accurate load ratings and can be used to alert engineers to possible structural damage.