Title:
Long-Term Monitoring of Repaired Concrete in a Bridge to Assess its Performance: A Case Study
Author(s):
Garg
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
ws_S23_Garg.pdf
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
4/2/2023
Abstract:
Unlike the traditional use of sensors for monitoring the structural performance of members and components of a structure, both electrical and fiber optic sensors could also be used for monitoring physical and chemical changes in structural materials as part of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). They can be used to identify long-term changes in material properties as well as for taking appropriate decisions in relation to repair and maintenance so as to ensure the safety and serviceability of the structure. However, lack of published data on the long-term performance of structural materials predicted from these sensors has limited their widespread use in regular SHM applications. This paper presents an efficient approach to assess the performance of repaired concrete in a bridge in Northern Ireland using electrical resistance and temperature sensors. The sensors were installed in the repaired concrete near the deck surface and the soffit of the bridge and monitored for four years. The results showed that the repaired concrete performed well at both locations. However, it also indicated that whilst the influence of temperature is the same for both the deck surface and the soffit, the deck was moister than the soffit, indicating that steel in the concrete at the deck is likely to corrode faster due to the increased availability of oxygen. The data indicated the need to continuously monitor both ambient and internal moisture as well as temperature along with electrical resistivity for predicting the long-term performance of concrete in structures.