A Simplified Methodology for Condition Assessment of Bridge Bearings Using Vibration Based Structural Health Monitoring Techniques

Abstract

The mechanical properties of bridge bearings gradually deteriorate over time resulting from daily traffic loading and harsh environmental conditions. However, structural health monitoring of in-service bridge bearings is rather challenging. This study presents a bridge bearing condition assessment framework which integrates the vibration data from a non-contact interferometric radar (i.e. IBIS-S) and a simplified analytical model. Using two existing concrete bridges in Australia as a case study, it demonstrates that the developed framework has the capability of detecting the structural condition of the bridge bearings in real-time. In addition, the results from a series of parametric studies..