Leveraging Structural Health Monitoring for Bridge Condition Assessment

Highway bridge infrastructure is a key aspect of the US transportation system. Efficient maintenance is important for preserving the integrity and improving the condition of aging national bridge infrastructure. Highway bridge condition is typically assessed using visual inspections and accompanying non-destructive field tests. This paper presents a solution that leverages low-cost Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) sensor data and the cumulative knowledge of bridge inspectors to monitor bridge condition. The developed solution utilizes a central database to store infrastructure inventory, inspection, and SHM information. The paper presents the Bridge Inspection Toolkit (BIT)—an innovative software solution that provides condition assessment decision-making support to bridge inspection documentation. Condition assessment support is provided by integrating the BIT with functionality that allows inspectors access to intelligent interpretation of SHM data. The BIT also allows inspectors access to condition assessment data corresponding to equivalent components, recorded by other responders, thus allowing them to draw on the collective experience and judgment of peers. The implementation of the inspection solution developed in this research introduces a greater degree of objectivity into condition ratings assessed by bridge inspectors. Condition assessment data gathered using the presented methods helps in effectively rating bridge infrastructure capacity and efficiently allocating maintenance resources.