Newsletter October 2002
A Remote Bridge Health Monitoring System Using Computational Simulation and GPS Sensor Data
This project is funded under the EPSRC's Structural Integrity Programme. Collaborators on this project are from the University of Nottingham, Cranfield University, Leica Geosystems Ltd, W S Atkins, Pell Frischmann and Railtrack.
The overall objective of the project is the creation of a system employing advanced computational tools, coupled with GPS, pseudo-satellite and triaxial accelerometer sensors, to remotely monitor the health of operational bridges without on-site inspection. The specific aim of this proposal is to undertake the research necessary to set up a basic remote health monitoring system, using sensors placed on an operational bridge, linked to new finite element/optimisation based health assessment software. The research will integrate the research into the use of GPS, pseudo-satellite and accelerometer for dynamic and static deformation monitoring at the University of Nottingham with the structural deformation analysis work conducted at Cranfield University.
The principal objectives are to:
- Develop techniques for online structural integrity monitoring of bridges
- Improve GPS, pseudo-satellite and accelerometer data quality and acquisition methodologies for structural monitoring applications
- Interpretation of long-term bridge deformation signatures and real-time dynamic response to external forces
- Comparison of GPS data with the results predicted by FE models or measured by other sensor systems
To date, a prototype integrated sensor system consisting of state-of-the-art dual frequency GPS receivers and triaxial accelerometers has been successfully tested in deformation monitoring of the Nottingham Wilford suspension footbridge. Previous work focused on data gathered on the Humber Bridge as well as the London Millennium Bridge in collaboration with Brunel University. The hardware configuration has been investigated and validated during these bridge trials. Software packages developed (through Matlab and Visual C++ programming) have been applied in online data acquisition, coordinate transformation between different reference frames, data integration, result interpretation and visualisation. The vibration characteristics, such as real-time deflections and vibration frequencies, identified from three-dimensional positioning solutions of the monitored bridge are compared with the values predicted by an FE model newly developed by Cranfield University. With this FE model, the optimal sensor locations can be determined with the aim of maximizing the obtainable detail of the dynamic characteristics of bridges.
The above research activities have already resulted in several publications in journals and prestigious conference proceedings. More information may be found on the IESSG web page; www.nottingham.ac.uk/iessg.
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