Abstract
More than 40 years ago, the expansion joints on the Basel border bridge were constructed using corbels and dapped ends. The consoles had to be reinforced as part of the renovation measures due to damage caused by chloride entry and due to the increased loads. Diagonal rods, which were prestressed, were used. Fiber-optic sensors were additionally installed to these highly stressed rods in order to measure the strains and temperatures. This now makes it possible to measure the actual strains in the strengthening of the corbel, estimate fatigue loads, and set up a warning system in case of overstressing. This article presents the design of the measurement system and the analysis of the data. Furthermore, the reference measurements that can establish the relationship between the measured strains and the loads passed over are presented.
Highlights
By monitoring infrastructure such as bridges, greater safety for users can be achieved [1,2,3].This is feasible since progressive damage can be detected at an early stage, safety is ensured, and the repair effort is significantly reduced
Fiber-optic sensors were installed to these highly stressed rods in order to measure the strains and temperatures. This makes it possible to measure the actual strains in the strengthening of the corbel, estimate fatigue loads, and set up a warning system in case of overstressing
Motorway 2 (A2) is one of the busiest north–south traffic axes in Switzerland. It runs from the Italian border at Chiasso through the Gotthard to Basel and connects to the German Autobahn 5 (A5) at the German–Swiss border
Summary
By monitoring infrastructure such as bridges, greater safety for users can be achieved [1,2,3]. This is feasible since progressive damage can be detected at an early stage, safety is ensured, and the repair effort is significantly reduced. Precise and continuous data recording is necessary to detect damage in time. This can lead to large amounts of data. The fiber-optic strain and temperature sensors were glued onto the rods. These rods were inserted into drilled holes and prestressed. Further examples of monitoring infrastructures in Switzerland can be found in [4,5] and a general overview in [6]
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