Structural Identification of an Old Bridge by Multiple Reference Impact Test Method

Abstract

Experimental data was collected for structural identification (St-Id) of an old bridge: (1) static displacement and strain measurements taken under proof-load level, and; (2) multi-reference impact test (MRIT) data from one of the spans of a three span, cast-in-place reinforced concrete (RC) T-beam Bridge. MRIT was used to generate the modal data for computation of modal flexibility and displacement profiles. The St-Id procedure used during this application was designed to mitigate epistemic uncertainty in the data interpretation process. Successful results from MRIT demonstrated the reliability of applications for bridge condition assessment based on impact testing.