Infrasound-Based Structural Health Monitoring of an In-Service Highway Bridge

This paper demonstrates the use of low frequency acoustic measurements to determine the modal properties of a simple single-span steel-girder highway bridge. Infrasound is sound with frequencies below the audibility range of the human ear, typically considered below 20 Hz, which are produced by infrasonic waves or vibrations. Infrasonic measurements taken from beneath this in-service highway bridge in Connecticut over a two-year period are used to determine averaged power spectral density functions. Modal frequencies are obtained from direct peak-picking and corresponding modal damping ratios are determined using the half-power bandwidth method. Values obtained from the infrasonic acoustic measurements are compared to baseline accelerometer measurements and to a three-dimensional finite element model for validation. The modal information provided by the infrasonic measurement of the acoustic microphone placed under the bridge is verified by measurements obtained from traditional accelerometers installed onto the bridge and validated with the finite element model.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFF40 Standing Committee on Testing and Evaluation of Transportation Structures.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Lobo-Aguilar, Sergio
  • Christenson, Richard
  • Jang, Shinae
  • Li, Jingcheng
  • Park, Sooyong
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
• Date: 2017

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 12p
• Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerometers; Finite element method; Girder bridges; Highway bridges; Infrasound; Power spectra; Steel bridges; Structural health monitoring; Validation
• Geographic Terms: Connecticut
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01626642
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 17-06115
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 27 2017 9:25AM