Damage assessment of an RC arch bridge using Finite Element Analysis and proposal of bridge SHM system

Damage assessment using the Finite Element (FE) analysis is a major requirement for performance evaluation of damaged bridges. This paper highlights the case study of a Reinforced Concrete (RC) arch bridge where the FE analysis performed the diagnostic of the bridge damages. The major damage which can also be visually observed found to be the buckling of the steel hangers. FE analysis helped diagnose the reasons for such extensive buckling which further lowered the load bearing capacity of the bridge. Based on the FEA, the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system of the bridge is also proposed. This system is based on the installation of three different types of sensors: a Laser Displacement (LD) sensor for the measurement of vertical displacement, a Crack Meter (CM) sensor for crack monitoring and measurement of longitudinal displacement, and a Tilt Meter (TM) sensor for the measurement of deck rotation. This proposed system also includes the IoT-based web platform with SHM management software to automatically process the monitoring data to detect damages and issue warnings to concerned authorities. The system can not only perform continuous monitoring of hangers but can also monitor the load-bearing capacity of the bridge and reduce the risk of failure.