Structural Health Monitoring of Highway Bridges Subjected to Overweight Vehicles, Phase II \u2013 Field Deployment

2019Final, January 31, 2017 to July 31, 2019PDFTech ReportWY-1906FRS06216RS06216Bridge engineeringStructural analysisStructural health monitoringFiber opticsLoad factorInstruments for measuring deformation or deflectionload ratingsUnited StatesWyomingWyoming. Department of TransportationJudd, JohnnBarker, MichaelLu, RenxiangUniversity of Wyoming. Department of Civil and Architectural EngineeringWyoming. Department of TransportationUS Transportation CollectionThis report describes Phase II of a research project to develop a structural health monitoring system for highway bridges subjected to overweight trucks. Two field tests were conducted. The Laramie River bridge, located at mile post (MP) 312.33, on Interstate-80 (I-80), in Laramie, Wyoming, was tested to evaluate bridge behavior and to develop a prototype structural health monitoring system using fiber optic sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings. The field test validated the accuracy of the fiber Bragg grating fiber topic sensors, but it revealed that the fiber optic sensors, cables, and interrogator system components developed in the laboratory during Phase I of the research project have several challenges when employed in the field. The Bear River bridge located at MP 5.87 on I-80 in Evanston, Wyoming was tested to evaluate bridge behavior and to prepare for deployment of an improved structural health monitoring system. The improved structural health monitoring system minimizes signal loss and sensor detachment, allows for reconfiguration of sensors, facilitates removal of the system, handles rough continuous data streams, collects, filters, stores, packages, and transmits data via cellular service for long-term storage and post-processing. A triggering system was developed that utilizes passive or active wireless communication techniques. The structural health monitoring system was deployed and operated at the Bear River bridge.90