Recording and simulating environmental effects upon Tamar Suspension Bridge

It has been noted from long term monitoring results that the static and modal data fluctuates over time, which correlates with measured wind speeds and warming of the bridge elements. For damage detection, an understanding of the environmental effects is essential, since they will be the major contributor of noise to data otherwise indicative of structural damage. Instrumentation installed upon the Tamar Suspension Bridge, in south west England, UK, has been collecting modal data since 2006. Typical monitoring equipment has been used, such as accelerometers and strain gauges, as well as the recent use of total positioning station (TPS) to collect global displacements. This has been presented in an accessible program for ease of reference. Accompanying the research, a finite element (FE) model of the bridge has been created, to provide theoretical results and further the understanding of effects from environmental loading. The accommodation of the hybrid structural system of suspension cables with stay cables has been considered, as well as geometric nonlinear effects of the forces in the wires, and the catenary of the suspension cable.