Verringerung des Temperatureinflusses bei der Überwachung von Brücken am Beispiel von Messdaten aus Luxemburg

Conference given outside the academic context (2021)

A rising number of concrete bridges are showing increasing damage due to corrosion and fatigue. In addition to the regular standard visual inspection, the bridge’s condition can also be recorded using ... [more ▼]

A rising number of concrete bridges are showing increasing damage due to corrosion and fatigue. In addition to the regular standard visual inspection, the bridge’s condition can also be recorded using additional tests with repeated static loading and/or dynamic tests. To determine any damage to a structure and to check its structural stability, it is crucial to know the exact system properties of the bridge in its undamaged reference state. The system behavior is influenced by damage and bearing conditions and environmental influences, such as the structure’s temperature. The influence of temperature can even cause larger changes in the measured quantities (bending line or modal parameters) than real damage. Therefore, temperature effects should be compensated before any condition analysis. The present work aims to demonstrate the influence of different bearing types and temperature on a real bridge beam. For this purpose, various static and dynamic tests were performed in the undamaged reference state. [less ▲]

Neuere Methoden zur Identifikation und Lokalisierung von Schäden an vorgespannten Betonbrücken

in Bischoff, Manfred; von Scheven, Malte; Oesterle, Bernd (Eds.) Baustatik-Baupraxis 14 (2020, March 23)

Zuerst wird ein rein statistischer Schadensindikator basierend auf der Hauptkomponentenanalyse vorgestellt. Wichtig sind Referenzmessungen im ungeschädigten Zustand, um Veränderungen zu identifizieren ... [more ▼]

Zuerst wird ein rein statistischer Schadensindikator basierend auf der Hauptkomponentenanalyse vorgestellt. Wichtig sind Referenzmessungen im ungeschädigten Zustand, um Veränderungen zu identifizieren. Bevor die Messdaten mit den Rechenmodellen kombiniert werden, müssen Temperatureffekte kompensiert werden, um dann die Schäden zu erkennen und zu lokalisieren. Ein „Model-Updating“ Prozess eines speziellen Finite-Elemente- Modells passt die Steifigkeitsmatrix an die gemessenen Eigenfrequenzen oder an die progressive Absenkung unter Eigengewicht an. [less ▲]

BRIDGE MONITORING WITH HARMONIC EXCITATION AND PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS

in The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering (2019)

Principal Component Analysis is used for damage detection in structures excited by harmonic forces. Time responses are directly analysed by Singular Value Decomposition to deduct two dominant Proper ... [more ▼]

Principal Component Analysis is used for damage detection in structures excited by harmonic forces. Time responses are directly analysed by Singular Value Decomposition to deduct two dominant Proper Orthogonal Values corresponding to two Proper Orthogonal Modes. Damage index is defined by the concept of subspace angle that a subspace is built from the two Proper Orthogonal Modes. A subspace angle reflects the coherence between two different structural health states. An example is given through the application on a part of a real prestressed concrete bridge in Luxembourg where different damage states were created by cutting a number of prestressed tendons in four scenarios with increasing levels. Results are better by using excitation frequency close to an eigenfrequency of the structure. The technique is convenient for practical application in operational bridge structures. [less ▲]

Model updating for structural health monitoring using static and dynamic measurements

in Procedia Engineering (2017), 199

Structural health monitoring is tracking static or dynamic characteristics of a structure to identify and localize stiffness reductions for damage detection. Different damage indicators are used and any ... [more ▼]

Structural health monitoring is tracking static or dynamic characteristics of a structure to identify and localize stiffness reductions for damage detection. Different damage indicators are used and any indicator presents advantages and drawbacks. Hence the idea comes up to combine them in a model-updating procedure using a finite element model. In a first step, a model is fit to match the healthy reference state of the examined structure. Therefore it relies on minimizing a special objective function adding and weighting the differences between measured and calculated static and dynamic structural characteristics. For doing structural health monitoring the measurements are repeated in distinct time intervals and the finite element model is updated again, using the same objective function and minimization procedure. Damage can be identified and localized by highlighting reductions in the stiffness matrix of the model compared to the initial model. The efficiency of the method is illustrated by in-situ tests, where a single beam is examined that was part of a real prestressed concrete bridge. For static tests, 8 displacement transducers were disposed along the length of 40m, while the beam was mass-loaded and the deflection line is analyzed. Modal analysis was performed with swept sine excitation with constant force amplitude to identify eigenfrequencies and mode shapes. Stepwise artificial damage was provoked by cutting multiple prestressed tendons inside the concrete beam. A finite element model with a mapped mesh was created, allowing a variation of Young’s modulus in grouped sections. On real bridges temperature is neither homogenous nor constant over time, which often has a considerable influence on measured static and dynamic characteristics as the stiffness of asphalt and/or bearings can be affected. The proposed methods show their efficiency when temperature effects were excluded or compensated after measurement, which is a topic on its own and not discussed here. [less ▲]

Health Monitoring based on Dynamic Flexibility matrix: Theoretical Models versus in-situ Tests

in Engineering (2017), 09(02), 37-67

The paper focuses on damage detection of civil engineering structures and especially on concrete bridges. A method for structural health monitoring based on vibrational measurements is presented and ... [more ▼]

The paper focuses on damage detection of civil engineering structures and especially on concrete bridges. A method for structural health monitoring based on vibrational measurements is presented and discussed. Experimentally identified modal parameters (eigenfrequencies, mode shapes and modal masses) of bridge structures are used to calculate the inverse stiffness matrix, the so-called flexibility matrix. By monitoring of the stiffness matrix, damage can easily be detected, quantified and localized by tracking changes of its individual elements. However, based on dynamic field measurements, the acquisition of the flexibility matrix instead of the stiffness matrix is often the only choice and hence more relevant for practice. But the flexibility-based quantification and localisation of damage are often possible but more difficult, as it depends on the type of support and the location of the damage. These issues are discussed and synthetized, that is an originality of this paper and is believed useful for engineers in the damage detection of different bridge structures. First the theoretical background is briefly repeated prior to the illustration of the differences between stiffness and flexibility matrix on analytical and numerical examples. Then the flexibility-based detection is demonstrated on two true bridges with real-time measurement data and the results are promising. [less ▲]

Static load testing with temperature compensation for structural health monitoring of bridges

in Engineering Structures (2016), 127(2016), 700-718

The paper presents a series of repeated static loading tests on a prestressed concrete beam, which was originally part of a real bridge and then subjected to stepwise artificial damage. The tests were ... [more ▼]

The paper presents a series of repeated static loading tests on a prestressed concrete beam, which was originally part of a real bridge and then subjected to stepwise artificial damage. The tests were done during a one-month period that four levels of damage were introduced by cutting tendons until visible cracking occurred. The deflection line was measured by means of several displacement sensors and the retrieved information is used in different ways for damage detection. At first, the sensor spacing requirement is analyzed with respect to measurement accuracy as well as necessary resolution for the numerical derivations of the deflection line to obtain the rotational angle and the curvature of the beam. These derived quantities may be used as damage indicators in addition to the deflection. Damage of concrete goes very often along with non-linear phenomena like cracking of concrete and plastic strain of reinforcement steel. These effects are discussed and their influence on the repeated loading tests as well the test procedure for condition monitoring is deployed. Progressive damage goes along with progressive sagging of the bridge due to gravity, which can also be used as damage indicator. Finally, the effect of varying outdoor temperatures are discussed and assessed. Though these effects can be reduced by choosing cloudy days without high temperature changes and without high solar irradiation, the outdoor temperature is never constant. Hence, a compensation algorithm is proposed which reflects the measured data according to a reference temperature. This compensation visibly improved the regularity of data. [less ▲]

Structural health monitoring based on static measurements with temperature compensation

in QUALITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR ROADWAY BRIDGES, STANDARDIZATION AT A EUROPEAN LEVEL (2016)

The paper presents the main results from static tests in a prestressed concrete beam taken out from a real bridge. The tests were achieved during about one month with several scenarios of damage that ... [more ▼]

The paper presents the main results from static tests in a prestressed concrete beam taken out from a real bridge. The tests were achieved during about one month with several scenarios of damage that loaded and unloaded states were monitored for each scenario. Damages in 4 levels were simulated by cutting prestressed tendons. There were 8 transducers distributed along the length’s beam to measure displacements. Deflection lines resulted from the static measurements from every state allow discovering the location of damages. Moreover, the calculation of slope and curvature lines leads also to very interesting issues for damage localization. [less ▲]

Some remarks on the influence of temperature-variations, non-linearities, repeatability and ageing on modal-analysis for structural health monitoring of real bridges

in MATEC Web of Conferences (2015, October 19), 24(Article No. 05006),

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) intends to identify damage by changes of characteristics as for instance the modal parameters. The eigenfrequencies, mode-shapes and damping-values are either directly ... [more ▼]

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) intends to identify damage by changes of characteristics as for instance the modal parameters. The eigenfrequencies, mode-shapes and damping-values are either directly used as damage indicators or the changes of derived parameters are analysed, such as e.g. flexibilities or updated finite element models. One common way is a ontinuous monitoring under environmental excitation forces, such as wind or traffic, i.e. the so-called output-only modal analysis. Alternatively, a forced measured external excitation in distinct time-intervals may be used for input-output modal analysis. Both methods are limited by the precision or the repeatability under real-life conditions at site. The paper will summarize everal field tests of artificially step by step damaged bridges prior to their final demolishment and it will show the changes of eigenfrequencies due to induced artificial damage. Additionally, some results of a monitoring campaign of a healthy bridge in Luxembourg are presented. Reinforced concrete shows non-linear behaviour in the sense that modal parameters depend on the excitation force amplitude, i.e. higher forces lead often to lower eigenfrequencies than smaller forces. Furthermore, the temperature of real bridges is neither constant in space nor in time, while for instance the stiffness of asphalt is strongly dependant on it. Finally, ageing as uch can also change a bridge’s stiffness and its modal parameters, e.g. because creep and hrinkage of concrete or ageing of elastomeric bearing pads influence their modulus of elasticity. These effects cannot be considered as damage, though they influence the measurement of modal parameters and hinder damage detection. [less ▲]

A signal processing method to remove environmental effects for damage detection in bridge structures

Poster (2014, July)

This paper consists in damage diagnosis for several real bridges in Luxembourg. Before, different analysis methods were applied to the data measured from these structures showing interesting results ... [more ▼]

This paper consists in damage diagnosis for several real bridges in Luxembourg. Before, different analysis methods were applied to the data measured from these structures showing interesting results. However, some difficulties are faced, especially due to environmental influences (temperature and soil-behaviour variations) which overlaid the structural changes caused by damage or confuse damage levels. These environmental effects are investigated in detail and removed in this work through Principal Component Analysis. Damage index is based on outlier analysis [less ▲]

Use Of Time- And Frequency-Domain Approaches For Damage Detection In Civil Engineering Structures

in Shock and Vibration (2014), 2014

The aim of this paper is to apply both time- and frequency-domain-based approaches on real-life civil engineering structures and to assess their capability for damage detection. The methodology is based ... [more ▼]

The aim of this paper is to apply both time- and frequency-domain-based approaches on real-life civil engineering structures and to assess their capability for damage detection. The methodology is based on Principal Component Analysis. The first structure is the Champangshiehl Bridge located in Luxembourg. Several damage levels were intentionally created by cutting a growing number of prestressed tendons and vibration data were acquired by the University of Luxembourg for each damaged state. The second example consists in reinforced and prestressed concrete panels. Successive damages were introduced in the panels by loading heavy weights and by cutting steel wires. The illustrations show different consequences in damage identification by the considered techniques [less ▲]