Structural health monitoring on Yangluo Yangtze River Bridge: Implementation and demonstration

Abstract

Long-span cable-supported bridge is one of crucial transportation infrastructures. Structural health monitoring (SHM) system that is used to assess structural service conditions and detect early damage has drawn a growing attention in engineering structural society. It provides a real-time monitoring of various structural changes under operational and extreme conditions. Yangluo Bridge over Yangtze River in Wuhan city of China is a 1280 m central span suspension bridge with an orthotropic steel box girder. Taking the SHM system of Yangluo Yangtze River Bridge as an example, this paper presents an implementation of SHM system on the bridge in terms of sensor layout, data acquisition strategy, data transmission, data processing, and abnormal alarm framework. With such an SHM system, the typical monitoring results are demonstrated such as operational environments, loadings, structural deformation, strains, dynamic properties, and structural responses. The SHM system of Yangluo Yangtze River Bridge is continuously gathering data and monitoring structural behavior. It is anticipated that it will provide either scientific or technological supports to the service comfort and safety of the bridge.