Identification of a moving mass on a beam bridge using piezoelectric sensor arrays

Abstract

Since overload has become the main potential safety hazard for aging bridges, management of traffic load information is of great significance in safety insurance of bridges. Here, an array of lead zirconium titanate (PZT) sensors is utilized to capture the dynamic responses of beam bridge due to moving load, for which the details are identified based on electromechanical analysis and structural dynamics. The precision and feasibility of the proposed method are validated by experimental tests for a simply supported and a continuous steel beam respectively. Results show that the PZT sensor has the advantage of self-driving, fast response and high precision, which makes it possible for wireless sensing technology. Results also reveal that dynamic responses of the beam can reflect effectively the moving speed and magnitude of the moving force when the load approaches to the mid-span. Furthermore, the proposed method is applicable for different beam structures and insensitive to the noise interference. The current method may provide guidance for bridge moving load identification.