Structural health monitoring of bridges in the State of Connecticut

A joint effort between the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the University of Connecticut has been underway for more than 20 years to utilize various structural monitoring approaches to assess different bridges in Connecticut.This has been done to determine the performance of existing bridges,refine techniques needed to evaluate different bridge components,and develop approaches that can be used to provide a continuous status of a bridge’s structural integrity.This paper briefly introduces the background of these studies,with emphasis on recent research and the development of structural health monitoring concepts.This paper presents the results from three different bridge types:a post-tensioned curved concrete box girder bridge,a curved steel box-girder bridge,and a steel multi-girder bridge.The structural health monitoring approaches to be discussed have been successfully tested using field data collected during multi-year monitoring periods,and are based on vibrations,rotations and strains.The goal has been to develop cost-effective strategies to provide critical information needed to manage the State of Connecticut’s bridge infrastructure.