Brief Description and the work performed by Resensys
Case definition: Resensys monitoring systems have been deployed to monitor the structural health and scour conditions of multiple bridges and retaining walls in Colorado.
Problems Identified:
- Changes in pier orientation and stability
- Over-acceleration (vibration) at piers and girders
- Over-strain at girders and load bearing members
- Propagation of existing cracks
- Lateral deflections/displacement at expansion joints or bearings
- Erosion of soil surrounding the bridge foundation (piers and abutments)
- Scour holes caused by fast-moving water removing sediment from around the bridge foundation
- Tilting of retaining wall panels
Solutions Implemented: Wireless monitoring systems were deployed at the bridges and retaining walls based on the specific monitoring needs of each structure:
- High-resolution Tiltmeters: To monitor pier instability and tilting of retaining wall panels.
- Medium-resolution Tiltmeters: To monitor tilting of rocker bearings.
- Accelerometers: To monitor vibrations in piers, girders, and cables.
- Displacement/Crack Sensors: To monitor bearings, measure the width of existing cracks, and assess floor beam deflections.
- Strain Gauges: To monitor load-bearing members and strain/stress on girders and floor beams.
- Wireless Sonar Water Depth Meter: Strategically placed at specific piers to collect underwater data, such as depth and temperature.
Results:
- Early detection of overloaded structural members to prevent malfunctions in other structural components.
- Evaluation of the responsiveness of the bearings and expansion joints
- Monitoring vertical and lateral deflections
- Accurate detection and measurement of vibrations at piers and girders
- Continuous monitoring of crack widths for proactive maintenance
- Reliable quantitative measurement of scour around underwater portions of bridges
- Detection of excessive tilting of bridge piers and retaining wall panels, providing early warning of potential hydraulic or structural damage to prevent road/bridge closures and costly repairs
| OWNER | Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) |
| SERVICE PROVIDED | Remote Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) System at 10 Bridges in Pennsylvania |
| DURATION | 2019-Present |
| SALIENT FEATURES | Remote Structural Health Monitoring System at Infrastructure (Bridges, Retaining Walls, Timber Structures) Remote Scour-Critical Bridge Monitoring Systems |
Photo Gallery
, Scour Critical Bridge Monitoring & Retaining Wall Monitoring Systems in Colorado (CDOT)){kind=link}