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Evaluation of a large-scale bridge strain, temperature and crack monitoring with distributed fibre optic sensors

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Abstract

Many structures like bridges are ageing and the necessity to measure the uncertain parameters is relevant. Crack-related parameters can be measured with traditional techniques like crack gauges and displacement transducers. A method that can detect and localise cracks as well as measure crack width is most favourable. Several distributed and quasi-distributed systems were introduced to the market and tested in recent years. This paper presents a large-scale Structural Health Monitoring project based on stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical fibres for an old bridge. The Götaälv Bridge is a continuous steel girder bridge with concrete bridge deck. Steel girders suffer from fatigue and mediocre steel quality and some severe cracking and also a minor structural element collapse have taken place. The system installed on the bridge measures strain profiles along the whole length of the bridge and detects cracks that are wider than 0.5 mm. Procedures like factory acceptance test, site acceptance test, laboratory testing and field testing are presented and analysed. Innovative technology was developed, tested and applied on the bridge. Heuristic knowledge was collected; conclusions are presented and discussed for future development.

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Acknowledgments

People from several companies and disciplines participated in the project. The authors would like to thank every single person for his valuable contribution. The project would not have been able to realise without your collaboration, professionalism and interest in new technologies. Special thanks go to Traffic Authority of Gothenburg (Trafikkontoret) in Sweden who is the owner of the bridge, and Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) who is the main provider and contractor for the instrumentation and monitoring system. SMARTEC as subcontractor supplied the monitoring system with associated software in cooperation with Omnisens. Installation of the instrumentation and monitoring system was performed by different contractors under supervision of NGI and in collaboration with Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and SMARTEC SA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden

    Merit Enckell

  2. COWI A/S, Parallelvej 2, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Merit Enckell

  3. Princeton University, Princeton, USA

    Branko Glisic

  4. Instrumentation and Monitoring, Monitoring and Geophysics, NGI (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute), Oslo, Norway

    Frank Myrvoll

  5. Road and Tracks, Traffic and Public Transport Authority Gothenburg (Trafikkontoret), Gothenburg, Sweden

    Benny Bergstrand

Authors
  1. Merit Enckell
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  2. Branko Glisic
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  3. Frank Myrvoll
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  4. Benny Bergstrand
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Merit Enckell.

Additional information

Branko Glisic was formerly at SMARTEC SA, Switzerland.

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Enckell, M., Glisic, B., Myrvoll, F. et al. Evaluation of a large-scale bridge strain, temperature and crack monitoring with distributed fibre optic sensors. J Civil Struct Health Monit 1, 37–46 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-011-0004-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-011-0004-x

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