Evaluation of fiber optic sensors for remote health monitoring of bridge structures

Health monitoring of civil infrastructure systems has recently emerged as a powerful tool for condition assessment of structural performance. With the widespread use of modern telecommunication technologies, structures could be monitored periodically from a central station located several miles away from the field. Sensors are placed at several critical locations along the structure, and send structural information to the central station. This remote capability allows immediate damage detection, so that necessary actions that ensure public safety are taken. The goal of this research work is to evaluate the use of Fiber Optic sensing technology as a tool for structural health monitoring. To perform this task, a case study involving installation of Fiber Optic Sensors on a selected bridge structure during its construction phase was conducted. The bridge is located in the state of Florida, USA and is considered the first smart structure in this state. Static and Dynamic testing of the bridge were performed using loaded SU4 trucks. A 3-dimensional analytical finite element model of the bridge was developed and its results were compared to the test data. The study confirmed the accuracy of the sensors in estimating the bridge behavior under heavy truck loads. In addition, the sensors were connected to a data acquisition system permanently installed on-site. The acquisition system could be accessed through remote communication, which permits the evaluation of the bridge behavior under live traffic loads. Currently, live structural data under traffic loading is being transmitted continuously to the central maintenance office. The study revealed that the proposed health monitoring technology will enable practical, cost-effective, and reliable maintenance of bridge structures.