Key Engineering Materials Vols. 569-570

Abstract: For a specific pedestrian timber link case study, the authors had the chance to collect measurements of the structural response for a period of a few days but with the chance to repeat the monitoring in different seasonal weather conditions. This paper provides a synthesis of the data collected up to now. A parallel numerical model was implemented accounting for different potential constitutive law of the timber components and different hypotheses on the supports behavior.

Abstract: The use of changes in vibration properties for global damage detection and monitoring of existing concrete structures has received great research attention in the last three decades. To track changes in vibration properties experimentally, structures have been artificially damaged by a variety of scenarios. However, this procedure does not represent realistically the whole design-life degradation of concrete structures. This paper presents experimental work on a set of damaged reinforced concrete beams due to different loading regimes to assess the sensitivity of linear and non-linear vibration characteristics. Of the total set, three beams were subject to incremental static loading up to failure to simulate overloading, and two beams subject to 15 million loading cycles with varying amplitudes to produce an accelerated whole-life degradation scenario. To assess the vibration behaviour in both cases, swept sine and harmonic excitations were conducted at every damage level. The results show that resonant frequencies are not sensitive enough to damage due to cyclic loading, whereas cosh spectral and root mean square distances are more sensitive, yet more scattered. In addition, changes in non-linearity follow a softening trend for beams under incremental static loading and are significantly inconsistent for beams under cyclic loading. Amongst all examined characteristics, changes in modal stiffness are found to be most sensitive to damage and least scattered, but modal stiffness is tedious to compute due mainly to the difficulty of constructing restoring force surfaces from field measurements.

Abstract: This paper investigates the potential use of PolyVinyliDene Fluoride (PVDF) for the purposes of damage detection for infrastructural elements, primarily for bridge elements. PVDF based sensors have been created and characterised in the laboratory in this regard. Finite element analysis of vehicle-bridge interactions with varying damage are carried out. The energy harvesting signatures of realistic trains are assessed and quantified for the modelled bridge. The effect of localized damage on the finite element model and its subsequent relationship with energy harvesting from the calibrated PVDF based sensors are investigated using the harvesting signatures of realistic trains. This approach is useful in terms of designing new generation smart bridge structures and for possible retrofit of existing structures. The use of train-bridge interaction ensures that the damage detection is carried out while the bridge is under operational conditions. Consequently, there is minimal to no impact on the existing operation of the bridge or the transport network during damage detection. The paper is expected to be useful for practicing engineers and researchers in the field of application of new materials in the next generation of bridge structures.

Abstract: Because of the critical importance of bridges in land transport networks and broader economy, an increasing interest in permanent observation of their dynamic behavior under traffic, seismic and other live loads has been observed during the past decade. In addition, recent technological advances have made the installation and operation of permanent dynamic monitoring systems much more practical and economical. A multi-channel dynamic monitoring system is being installed in the 12 span pre-cast, post-tensioned Newmarket Viaduct, recently built using the balanced cantilever method and situated in Auckland, New Zealand. This paper first describes the preliminary studies including extensive one-off ambient vibration tests using wireless sensors that provided important information for the design of the monitoring system shortly after construction of the bridge. Then the designed monitoring system is characterized and proposed research that will be undertaken using the monitoring data is outlined.

Abstract: Earthquake inflicts damage on bridges in various ways. In this research an experimental study was carried out to decrease the damage caused by the pounding of bridges as earthquake load was added. For the experiment, we designed a model of successive bridge composed of a reinforced concrete bridge top and I section steel. At each bridge pier was placed a rubber bearing which was frequently used for seismic isolation. As for damper, we ourselves designed and produced a MR damper of 30 KN. Five experimental conditions were given ranging from without damper, with damper but no electricity input, with damper and electricity input, each with two different algorithms. For the experiment, we inflicted a 50% reduced wave of Kobe earthquake horizontally on the model, and compared the displacements and power data under each condition. The result proved that the MR damper of our own design was effective to prevent the successive bridge model from colliding by exerting a sizable amount of influence on its displacement and power data.

Abstract: The evaluation of the safety and the estimation of the remaining service life of existing structures need a thorough knowledge of the effective operational conditions, achievable implementing a health monitoring system. The measured quantities, if opportunely chosen, allow to follow the evolution of the structural behavior in the lifetime and to recognize the occurrence of damages. Hence the collected data can be considered as symptoms and used to assess the reliability and the prognosis of the monitored structure. This paper presents the application of symptom-based reliability formulation to a real case study: a set of precast bonded post-tensioned concrete bridge beams, recently dismounted after a service life of 50 years. Both static and dynamic tests were carried out at the aim of evaluating the residual load-bearing capacity and investigating the effects of deterioration on their dynamic properties. The experimental results of test campaigns have been used as symptoms in order to estimate the reliability function of the beams and the evolution of their resistance in time.

Abstract: This paper seeks to determine the effect deterioration has on the seismic vulnerability of a 3 span integral concrete bridge. Traditionally it has been common to neglect the effects of deterioration when assessing the seismic vulnerability of bridges. However, since a lot of the bridges currently being assessed for retrofit are approaching the end of their design life, deterioration is often significant. Furthermore, since deterioration affects the main force resisting components of a bridge, it is reasonable to assume that it might affect its performance during an earthquake. For this paper, chloride induced corrosion of the reinforcing steel in the columns and in the deck has been considered. Corrosion is represented by a loss of steel cross section and strength. A 3 dimensional non-linear finite element model is created using the finite element platform Opensees. A full probabilistic analysis is conducted to develop time-dependent fragility curves. These fragility curves give the probability of reaching or exceeding a defined damage limit state, for a given ground motion intensity measure taken as Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA). This analysis accounts for variation in ground motion, material and corrosion parameters when assessing its overall seismic performance as well as the performance of its most critical components. The results of the study show that all components experience an increase in fragility with age, but that the columns are the most sensitive component to aging and dominate the system fragility for this bridge type.

Abstract: The safety of civil engineering structures is one of the most important issues of building industry. That is why the assessment of the damage-involved structural response has recently become of major concern to engineers. Among a number of different approaches to diagnosis of damage, the method of measuring the changes in natural frequencies is considered to be one of the most effective indicators of global damage. From the practical point of view, the method has been successfully applied to relatively small structures, while in-situ tests on large structures, such as bridges, tanks or dams, are very difficult. The aim of the present paper is to show the results of the numerical analysis concerning the diagnosis of damage in a cylindrical steel tank with self-supported roof which is filled with liquid. The tests have been conducted for various stages of damage, introduced in the numerical model by reducing the stiffness of tank-soil system as well as by cutting the connection between the shell and roof of the tank as well as between roof elements. The results of the numerical analysis have shown the characteristic decrease in the natural frequencies for the case of tank-soil system with reduced stiffness, which is the global type of damage. On the other hand, cutting the welds, which can be considered as the local type of damage, has not lead to the differences in the natural frequency values, although differences in local deformations of shell in the vicinity of cuts have been observed in vibration modes.

Abstract: The difficulty in predicting the long term load capacity of concrete elements is well documented. Time dependent effects such as creep and shrinkage coupled with varying loading events, particularly during construction, can all have an adverse effect on the long term performance of a concrete structure. This paper proposes a method that utilises in-situ instrumentation to predict the load carrying capacity of concrete members. During the construction of the Engineering building at the National University of Ireland, Galway over 260 sensors were embedded in a number of key concrete elements. The sensors are being continually monitored with the use of automatic datalogging equipment and the data is being used to monitor changes in geometric and material properties along with the subsequent time dependent deterioration of the elements. The paper will illustrate how the in-situ data from the demonstrator building can be used to estimate the real time behaviour of the concrete elements and how these elements might respond to future changes in use and potential retrofitting. A cost analysis will show how such a monitoring system can be used to reduce the uncertainty levels involved when retrofitting concrete buildings.

Abstract: Paradela Bridge is a metallic bridge located along the bank of the Tua River in northern Portugal. While the bridge is not currently in service, its structure is representative of many metallic truss structures built across the continent between the XIX and the XX century. Tua Line belongs to the Douro area that UNESCO recently declared as world heritage. This study acquires its importance since it might serve as an insight for the study of many other similar structures all over the country. This paper comprises a historic investigation of archived documents, an on-site survey to evaluate its present conditions, a dynamic testing and the construction and calibration of numerical models in finite element analysis (FEA) software, structural assessment and capacity rating estimation. The purpose of constructing numerical models was to evaluate the suitability of the bridge under the original loading and in accordance to modern design standards. The historical research revealed that the truss bridge was designed as a simply supported element and that a series of hand calculations were carried out on individual structural elements (e.g. main trusses, stringers and floor beams). Furthermore, a dynamic test was conducted in order to identify the global dynamic properties of the structure and to calibrate numerical models that ensure reliability and representativeness. FE models served through the structural assessment of the bridge in accordance with modern design codes and to estimate the safety of the bridge. Likewise, a nonlinear failure analysis was also conducted in order to estimate the capacity rate of the bridge and the likely failure modes.