Strain-based Fatigue Crack Monitoring of Steel Bridges using Wireless Elastomeric Skin Sensors

The main objective of this proposed research is to provide state departments of transportation (DOTs) a practical and cost-effective long-term fatigue crack monitoring methodology using a wireless elastomeric skin sensor network. This research is intended to demonstrate the value-added of fatigue crack monitoring of steel bridges using wireless skin sensors over the traditional bridge inspection in the following ways: (1) The ability to collect objective information regarding fatigue crack activity under in-service loading of bridges in a continuous manner, improving the assessment, safety, and reliability of fractural-critical bridges, and providing early warning regarding evolving internal defects; (2) The ability to improve prioritization of bridge repairs (condition-based maintenance) and retrofit for fatigue cracks so as to maximize the effectiveness of limited resources; and (3) The ability to better assess the effectiveness of various fatigue repair and retrofit techniques for steel bridges through long-term crack monitoring.

• Record URL:
  http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/577

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $465000
• Contract Numbers:

  TPF-5(328)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

  Keystone Building
  400 North Street
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17120

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

  P.O. Box 25201
  1 South Wilmington Street
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27611

  Oklahoma Department of Transportation

  200 NE 21st Street
  Oklahoma City, OK  United States  73105

  Texas Department of Transportation

  125 E. 11th Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78701-2483

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155

  Kansas Department of Transportation

  Eisenhower State Office Building
  700 SW Harrison Street
  Topeka, KS  United States  66603-3754
• Project Managers:

  Barker, Susan

• Start Date: 20150901
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20180831
• Source Data: RiP Project 39579

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatigue cracking; Maintenance; Monitoring; Sensors; State departments of transportation; Steel bridges; Structural health monitoring; Validation; Wireless communication systems
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01573295
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Contract Numbers: TPF-5(328)
• Files: RiP, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 22 2015 1:00AM