The main objective of the study is to develop a portable overload truck screening system that "flags" passing vehicle that cases a stress level above a specified acceptable threshold level. The system will be tested at the Structural Instrumentation and Measurements Laboratory and the Infrastructure Laboratory housed at the Department of Civil and Enviconmental Engineering. Based on results from this laboratory testing, adjustments to the instrumentation scheme will be made. In Phase II of the project, the system will be field-tested with coordination from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
The investigators have partnered with two third-party private companies, Bridge Diagnostics Inc. (BDI) and International Road Dynamics (IRD) for this study. IRD has agreed to supply the portable WIM system at reduced cost with savings of $3,179. BDI, which conducts extensive bridge load testing nationwide, has agreed to actively participate in the development of this screening system. BDI is cost matching $16,500.
Specifically, the objectives of this Phase I project are to:
1. Identify studios that use integrated sensor technologies for bridge monitoring
2. Integrate two advanced sensing technologies into one system
3. Develop a trigger mechanism that is capable of communicating with both systems
4. Conduct laboratory tests on the integrated overload truck screening system
Air
Continued passage of overload vehicles over bridges, particularly those located along common truck routes, may lead to structural damage and cause serviceability concerns such as deck cracking, and in some cases,early replacement. In the United States, approximately 1 out 4 highway bridges are rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. In Rhode Island, an overwhelming 91% of the 771 bridges are in need of rehabilitation due to structural deterioration or inadequate strength. Bridge-related repairs or replacements cost RI more than $1.2 billion in 2004(National Bridge Inventory 2004). In light of the recent Minnesota bridge collapse, the safety of bridges and their users has been brought to the forefront of national issues. Bridge owners must not only limit property loss but also ensure the safety of the general public.
In this study, sustainable bridges are defined as those structures that can react to adverse loading conditions in order to extend the serviceable lifetime and reduce rehabilitation costs. The bridge, instrumented with a network of sensors, will be able to notify bridge engineers of the frequency and extent of overloading, increases in traffic loads, and response (i.e. stress) beyond "safe" and acceptable limits. this will improve bridge service conditions, extend service life, reduce the need for rehabilitation, and provide a tool to better prioritize investments to target specific sites. The objective of this project is to study the use and implementation of an overload truck screening system for bridge structures among various transportation agencies. This type of system is capable of "flagging" the passage of an overloaded truck that causes girder stress above a predefined "safe" level. The system combines two advanced technologies, namely weigh-in-motion (WIM) and bridge strain sensing.
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12/30/2008
$63,460.00
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