Modeling of a prestressed concrete bridge with 3D finite elements for structural health monitoring using model updating techniques

in ISMA2018 International Conference on Noise and Vibration Engineering (2018)

This paper presents a linear finite element model for a prestressed concrete beam, which was part of a real bridge. Static and dynamic tests were carried out and compared to the numerical simulation ... [more ▼]

This paper presents a linear finite element model for a prestressed concrete beam, which was part of a real bridge. Static and dynamic tests were carried out and compared to the numerical simulation responses. A solid finite element model was created including the prestressed concrete beam, permanent dead load, two additional live loads and a shaker. A well planned finite element model is very important for later detection and localization of damage. Therefore, a mapped mesh was used to define so-called ‘slices’, which enables describing stiffness changes, e.g. damage. The model validation was performed by comparing simulated results to measured responses in the healthy state of the beam. After validation of the reference model, it is possible to modify the bending stiffness along the longitudinal axis of the beam by modifying Young’s moduli of different slices to adapt for the effect of damage. [less ▲]

Damage detection in prestressed concrete bridges based on static load testing, sagging and modal parameters, using measurements and model updating

Doctoral thesis (2017)

Bridges are an essential part of nowadays infrastructure to cross natural and artificial obstacles like rivers, valleys or other roads and railways. Many concrete bridges were built in the last 70 years ... [more ▼]

Bridges are an essential part of nowadays infrastructure to cross natural and artificial obstacles like rivers, valleys or other roads and railways. Many concrete bridges were built in the last 70 years. The traffic density has increased immensely over the last decades and the bridges are suffering from corrosion and wear. Nevertheless, the safety of the infrastructure has to be guaranteed and therefore it is very important to find efficient methods for structural health monitoring. For this purpose, visual inspections are the most widely adopted in reality today. Considering the size of most bridge structures, it is understandable that these tests are generally very time-consuming and many personnel are needed, so they are cost-intensive. However, it is not always guaranteed that all damage can be found as only the surface is accessible. For instance, internal damage, such as corrosion of passive reinforcements or prestressed tendons, is difficult to detect. In addition, small cracks can remain undetected when covered by paints or dirt. Therefore, it is important to complement the standard methods with advanced alternatives. The aim is therefore not necessarily to replace visual inspections, but rather to find efficient methods for amendment. An idea being vigorously discussed in the scientific community is based on vibration measurements of a structure to assess its dynamic behaviour. The occurrence of damage will change the system properties, as it changes above all the stiffness distribution. So the system identification process in principle allows detection of changes of eigenfrequencies and hence stiffness. The main problem in practice on real bridges is that the robustness of a method is often insufficient, as the measured parameters are often also influenced by temperature changes. It will be shown that the impact of temperature change, e.g. between night and day, on the system properties is much higher than the influence of small damage. Furthermore, changes in soil and bearing conditions between different seasons can play a role. These environmental effects have to be taken into account while performing measurements for damage assessment. For this purpose, strategies are proposed to compensate environmental effects. Therefore, this thesis focuses on measurements under real environmental conditions, outside a laboratory. Different methods for damage assessment or stiffness tracking based on measured static and on dynamic properties of structures are deployed. Finally, the measured and analysed physical properties of the bridges in this thesis are: eigenfrequencies, mode shapes, sagging under own weight and the deflection line under a static test-loading. These quantities are tracked and artificial damage is introduced stepwise to a test-beam of a real bridge. Damage assessment and localisation is tried directly with the measured quantities but also by model-updating of a finite element model. This solid model is divided in a special way in different slices. It is possible to change the stiffness distribution along the axis of the simulated beam by varying the Young’s moduli of these slices. Furthermore, to reduce the number of free parameters for the subsequent up-dating process, an exponential damage function is introduced that describes the stiffness distribution. At first, the model was designed to fit a healthy reference state. Now measurement data from the artificially damaged test-beam are introduced and the model is updated by changing the Young’s moduli of the slices to minimise a special objective function containing the measured and simulated physical quantities. The comparison of initial and updated model allows a quantification and localisation of damage. Finally, the slice width is reduced around the identified damage region to improve the process. [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 ▲]

Damage detection for bridge structures based on dynamic and static measurements

Scientific Conference (2016, March)

Some results of damage detection for real bridge structures are reported in the present paper based on both dynamic and static measurements. Dynamic analysis relates to the identification of modal ... [more ▼]

Some results of damage detection for real bridge structures are reported in the present paper based on both dynamic and static measurements. Dynamic analysis relates to the identification of modal parameters and deduced variables… The processing of static data is based on the analyses of deflection line and its derivatives, i.e. slope and curvature. Detection methods were applied in several real concrete bridges in Luxembourg. The results are encouraging and useful for Structural Health Monitoring in civil engineering structures. [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 ▲]