Value of additional traffic data in the context of bridge service-life management

Abstract

The assessment of existing road bridges as parts of infrastructure networks is required in consideration of their deterioration and age. Advanced monitoring and management tools are mainly used for landmark bridges while the decision making process for small to medium bridges, which constitute the majority of the bridge network, mainly relies on condition assessment based on experience and conservative analysis related to design codes. In the analysis of the load-carrying capacity of theses bridges, loads imposed by the passing traffic are predominant due to their variable nature and level of uncertainties. The research presented in this paper outlines the value of additional traffic data, collected with both traffic counters and Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) method in the scope of assessment procedures for these bridges. Adequate processing of collected traffic data is crucial for subsequent extrapolation of maximum load effects on a particular bridge over a certain period in time. By taking into account all related costs, the purpose of this paper is to prove the benefits of employing traffic load monitoring data in structural assessment and subsequent decision-making process in service life management of bridges.

Keywords:

• Assessment
• decision-making
• existing bridges
• service-life management
• Value of information
• weigh-in-motion

Acknowledgements

This article is based upon work conducted in the scope of COST Action TU 1402 – Quantifying the Value of Structural Health Monitoring, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), and on the Croatian national project Performance Indicators for the Assessment of Existing Bridges, supported by the University of Zagreb.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.