Abstract
This paper reviews historical developments and recent challenges in full scale bridge testing and introduces results- and hypotheses related to an ongoing bridge testing research project. This research project encompasses full scale bridge testing in conjunction with bearing capacity analysis as well as related contact- and non-contact monitoring procedures combined with a decision analytical approach. Results from the first steps of the project, focusing on full scale load testing of bridges, are presented. The next part approaches the interfaces between three project areas namely the bearing capacity analysis, the utilization of monitoring procedures and a decision analytical approach. The proposed probabilistic decision analysis approach is described for two scenarios: (1) The decision support for the actual proof load test providing decision rules for a safe and efficient in-situ test and (2) for the identification of efficient strategies for the bridge reclassification accounting for modeling, simulation, and monitoring information. The paper concludes with a summary highlighting deemed challenges in the used approaches.
Highlights
The road authorities in most countries face problems related to aging bridges and increased traffic intensity and traffic loads
This paper provides an overview of the current project achievements in regard to the testing procedure and test results and contains a proposal relating to a probabilistic decision approach as an iterative process, where two scenarios can be described and analyzed: (1) The decision support for an actual proof load test providing decision rules for a stop criterion and safe and efficient in-situ testing, and (2) for the identification of efficient strategies for the bridge reclassification accounting for modeling, simulation, and monitoring information
The decision support approaches and the exemplary decision analysis constitute a first step and will be further substantiated and further developed to align the decision scenarios and the structural and structural information modeling to specific bridges and the specific bridge integrity management processes
Summary
The road authorities in most countries face problems related to aging bridges and increased traffic intensity and traffic loads. A systematic and network-wise reclassification may be achieved by a combination of methods, approaches and technologies with a linked research synergy, Figure 3 This includes development of (1) modeling and simulation techniques especially for more realistic models of the structural behavior, (2) tailored testing strategies in combination with advanced monitoring and (3) probabilistic and decision analyses to combine modeling, testing, and performance information as well as to identify efficient strategies for load step approval and reclassification. Pre-posterior Decision Analysis The decision situation considers the proof load test planner who seeks to identify the optimal strategies for a successful full-scale proof loading test These include selection of the stop criteria, the optimal method and type of monitoring and the optimal loading level. The expected utility is calculated for each of the stop criteria with consideration of the information and the decision rule that the action of a higher proof loading level is performed only if indication Z1 is obtained. The analysis may be repeated for monitoring systems with different precision and costs to identify the optimal monitoring system, and the associated optimal choices of stop criterion and load level, with the comparison of the expected Value of Information and Actions from different monitoring systems (Kapoor et al, 2019)
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