Drive-By Bridge Parameter Identification: An Overview

Abstract

Drive-by bridge parameter identification using an instrumented vehicle has drawn great attention in the field of bridge structure health monitoring. The feasibility of the drive-by inspection methods has been verified by a number of studies. However, most of the studies are conducted with numerical simulations and the successful field application for bridge parameter identification requires more factors to be taken into consideration. Influences from road surface roughness, vehicle moving speed, uncertainties in vehicle models and measurement noise etc., may make the drive-by parameter identification challenging and impede its practical application. Moreover, the time variant features of the vehicle-bridge interaction (VBI) system is another important factor for the drive-by bridge parameter identification which needs further investigation to ensure the accuracy of the identified results. This paper presents a brief overview on the drive-by bridge parameter identification of the authors’ recent experimental investigation to show the feasibility and challenges for the practical implementation of drive-by bridge parameter identification.KeywordsDrive-by parameter identificationVehicle-bridge interactionTime-frequency analysis