Abstract
Construction of Delaware’s new Indian River Inlet Bridge is being planned. An innovative 305 m single-rib concrete arch bridge was designed by the Figg Engineering Group [Pate, 2004]. In an effect to help the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) better maintain and operate the bridge, the Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering (CIBrE) at the University of Delaware has proposed to install a permanent long-term Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system on this unique bridge. Working closely with DelDOT and Figg from the initiation of the project, the CIBrE research team designed a comprehensive SHM system for the bridge, which will enable monitoring of critical behaviors during construction, and continuous monitoring during normal operation. The SHM system will be used to verify the innovative design, to monitor the structure during construction, and to monitor the long-term performance of the bridge. Data from the system will become part of the bridge maintenance and inspection records for the bridge, which will enable the DOT to better maintain and operate the bridge throughout its life. The SHM system includes numerous embedded and surface mounted sensors distributed throughout the bridge, a networked data acquisition system, power and communications conduits, and a central processing system. The SHM includes structural as well as geotechnical monitoring. Critical to the success of the design was the close coordination maintained with the design team, reviewers and owner throughout the entire design process. Presented in the paper is a description of the bridge and details of the monitoring system.
Published Version
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