Dynamic deformations of reinforced concrete beams during their total service-life

The number of bridges which are monitored by Structural Health Monitoring systems is increasing rapidly. The aim of such monitoring system is to provide an early warning system for malfunction or failure of the bridge by monitoring the deformations of the bridge over time. However, for such early warning system, it is required to understand potential changes in the deformations of the bridge. In order to monitor the deflections of a Reinforced Concrete (RC) beam during its total service-life, laboratory tests have been conducted. Results of these tests show how the deflections of dynamically loaded RC beams change with time. Changes in the deflections of the beams caused by fluctuating temperatures and humidity complicate observing damaged-induced changes in the deflections of the RC beams. The effect of these factors on the deflection of dynamically RC beams are presented in this paper.