Drive-by Bridge Damage Detection Using Road Reaction Force

Bridge structures are subject to continuous degradation, which requires a continuous screening to give an early warning if the bridge becomes unsafe. In recent years, many authors have shifted to instrumentation of passing vehicle rather than the bridge. This approach is referred to as 'drive-by' bridge inspection. This paper introduces a new method in the drive-by bridge concept by using the Bridge Displacement Profile Difference as a damage indicator. The Bridge Displacement Profile Difference history is calculated using a Matlab algorithm which solves the truck equation of motion, knowing the Road Reaction Force on the truck. The bridge is represented as 1D beam model, and a 2D plate model. The study uses a half car model to simulate the instrumented truck. Damage is represented as local loss in structural stiffness. The solution for the Vehicle Bridge Interaction is performed using the LS-Dyna FEA program.