Optical fibre systems for bridge monitoring: Fid-Bau Portal

Optical fibre systems for bridge monitoring

McKinley, B. / Boswell, L.F.

This paper outlines the work undertaken during an EU Brite-EuRam funded project entitled MILLENNIUM - Monitoring of Large Civil Engineering Structures for Improved Maintenance. The primary objective of the programme was to develop and demonstrate an on-line strain measurement system with the capability of meeting the required specification for life prediction and maintenance control of large civil engineering structures. The base technology for the instrumentation is optical fibre distributed sensing, which when compared with alternative candidate technologies, offers the optimum solution to meet the specification. Opto-electronic systems measuring Bragg grating based strain sensors were developed for use in the laboratory and subsequently modified for use in the field. Following extensive testing and development of the systems and a structural analysis of the laboratory models and field trial structure, a series of full-scale field trials was conducted. Static, dynamic and long-term testing of the installed systems has proven that the technology is capable of being extremely useful in the long-term assessment of bridges and many other civil engineering structures. Subsequent, on-line system development has been concluded and is now capable of determining the remaining life of the structure at the sensing point. The project was achieved through a consortium consisting of expertise in opto-electronics, physics, electronics, telecommunications, structural engineering, structural fatigue, and large and full scale structural testing. The partners were City University Department of Civil Engineering (GB), City University Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering (GB), ProtoDel International (GB), EM Technology (GB), Oceanographic Company of Norway (NO), Norwegian Public Roads Authority (NO), ACREO (SW) and ETANE S.A. (GR).