Structural Health Monitoring Applications in Bridge Projects Lessons from Louisiana

In this presentation, experience from three Louisiana projects involving SHM will be shared with the audience. The first two projects were employed to assist the Louisiana DOTD in updating their standard continuity detail between simply supported prestressed concrete girders. The first detail was a full-continuity detail following NCHRP Report 519 recommendations, whereas the second was a partial continuity detail using a link slab. Results from live load tests and long-term monitoring will be presented. These results assisted in updating the standard continuity detail in the new Louisiana Bridge Design and Evaluation Manual. The third project addresses load rating of cast-in-place (CIP) reinforced concrete (RC) box culverts with low fill heights, which are known to produce lower load rating factors if simplified AASHTO-LRFD procedures for live load distribution are used;even though these culverts rarely show signs of distress. Eight CIP-RC culverts were instrumented and load tested in the field. Refined three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models were calibrated using measured field data and used to load rate the tested culverts. Recommendations for future load rating were also made. Finally, an overview of a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation to introduce SHM in undergraduate CE curricula will be presented.