Research Activities: 2006
Long-Term Remote Sensing System for Bridge Piers | |||||||||
Status |
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Sequential Number | R195 | ||||||||
Identification Number | 00014973 | ||||||||
Matching Research Agency | National Cooperative Highway Research Program/New York State DOT/University of Missouri Columbia | ||||||||
Principal Investigator |
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Student Involvement | The project will involve two graduate students working on algorithm development, system testing and implementation. Two undergraduate research assistants will also participate in the project, assisting in laboratory testing and modeling. | ||||||||
Project Objective | The objective of the project is to develop a targeted health monitoring system intended to detect and measure tilt and vertical displacement/ settlement conditions of bridge columns and piers through a high-density sensor network. | ||||||||
Project Abstract | Scour and other natural hazards have the potential to undermine the stability of piers in highway bridges. This has led to bridge collapse in the past, and significant efforts have been undertaken to address the potential danger of scour and other hazards. However, there remains a lack of reliable, cost-effective, long-term monitoring devices capable of determining the structural stability of bridge piers. Research and development proposed within this project is intended to develop a unique and robust monitoring system for highway bridge piers. This system will be designed to measure changes in tilt and vertical displacement of bridge piers using an array of low-cost sensors mounted on the bridge pier and superstructure. Signal processing correlation algorithms will be developed that use sensor density and location to better measure long-term bridge rotations and displacements.The use of a high-density sensor array will provide a redundant, autonomous and stable measurement system. Unique and innovative aspects of the proposed system include 1) the ability to measure vertical displacement of a pier that may occur without tilt, and 2) special signal processing algorithms that will reduce temperature and drift problems common to long-term monitoring systems, and 3) the implementation of a redundant sensor array to reduce costs and increase long-term system reliability. The prototype system will be tested in cooperation with the New York State Department of Transportation. | ||||||||
Task Description | N/A | ||||||||
Anticipated Benefits | The anticipated benefits of the system include:
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Modal Orientation | N/A | ||||||||
Milestones |
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Relationship to other Research/Projects | The proposed project is part of a developing program to design and implement targeted health monitoring schemes for highway bridges. | ||||||||
Technology Transfer Activities | Technology transfer activities will include publication of research results in archival journals, a presentation of research results to the Missouri Department of Transportation, and inclusion of research results in undergraduate and graduate curriculum at UMC. | ||||||||
Transportation Research Board Keywords | Bridge testing, nondestructive evaluation, health monitoring, scour monitoring | ||||||||