Acoustic Non-Destructive Testing Technology in Concrete Bridge Inspection and Pile Foundation Detection

This article takes the actual construction project of a certain concrete bridge project as an example to analyze the application of acoustic non-destructive testing technology in its detection.It includes an overview of a certain bridge construction project studied and acoustic non-destructive testing technology and the application of acoustic non-destructive testing technology in actual testing.This analysis hopes to provide some guidelines for acoustic non-destructive testing of modern concrete bridge projects.

Real-Time Detection of Cracks on Concrete Bridge Decks Using Deep Learning in the Frequency Domain

This paper presents a vision-based crack detection approach for concrete bridge decks using an integrated one-dimensional convolutional neural network(1D-CNN)and long short-term memory(LSTM)method in the image frequency domain.The so-called 1D-CNN-LSTM algorithm is trained using thousands of images of cracked and non-cracked concrete bridge decks.In order to improve the training efficiency,images are first transformed into the frequency domain during a preprocessing phase.The algorithm is then calibrated using the flattened frequency data.LSTM is used to improve the performance of the developed network for long sequence data.The accuracy of the developed model is 99.05%,98.9%,and 99.25%,respectively,for training,validation,and testing data.An implementation framework is further developed for future application of the trained model for large-scale images.The proposed 1D-CNN-LSTM method exhibits superior performance in comparison with existing deep learning methods in terms of accuracy and computation time.The fast implementation of the 1D-CNN-LSTM algorithm makes it a promising tool for real-time crack detection.

Fragility curves of concrete bridges retrofitted by column jacketing

The Northridge earthquake inflicted various levels of damage upon a large number of Caltrans' bridges not retrofitted by column jacketing.In this respect,this study represents results of fragility curve development for two (2) sample bridges typical in southern California,strengthened for seismic retrofit by means of steel jacketing of bridge columns.Monte Carlo simulation is performed to study nonlinear dynamic responses of the bridges before and after column retrofit.Fragility curves in this study are represented by lognormal distribution functions with two parameters and developed as a function of PGA.The sixty (60) ground acceleration time histories for the Los Angeles area developed for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) SAC (SEAOC-ATC CUREe) steel project are used for the dynamic analysis of the bridges. The improvement in the fragility with steel jacketing is quantified by comparing fragility curves of the bridge before and after column retrofit.In this first attempt to formulate the problem of fragility enhancement,the quantification is made by comparing the median values of the fragility curves before and after the retrofit.Under the hypothesis that this quantification also applies to empirical fragility curves developed on the basis of Northridge earthquake damage,the enhanced version of the empirical curves is developed for the ensuing analysis to determine the enhancement of transportation network performance due to the retrofit.

Earthquake simulation test of circular reinforced concrete bridge column under multidirectional seismic excitation

Structures behave multi-directionally when subjected to earthquake excitation. Thus, it is essential to evaluate the effect of multidirectional loading on the dynamic response and seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridge columns in order to develop more advanced and reliable design procedures. To investigate such effects, a 1/4 scaled circular reinforced concrete bridge column specimen was tested under two horizontal and one vertical components of a strong motion that has long duration with several strong pulses. Damage progress of reinforced concrete columns subjected to strong excitation was evaluated from the test. The test results demonstrate that the lateral force response in the principal directions become smaller than computed flexural capacity due to the bilateral flexural loading effects, and that the lateral response is not significantly affected by the fluctuation of the axial force because the horizontal response and axial force barely reached the maximum simultaneously due to difference of the predominant natural periods between the vertical and the horizontal directions. Accuracy of fiber analyses is discussed using the test results.

Cellular Automata-based Chloride Ion Diffusion Simulation of Concrete Bridges under Multi-factor Coupling Actions

In order to accurately simulate the diffusion of chloride ion in the existing concrete bridge and acquire the precise chloride ion concentration at given time, a cellular automata （CA）-based model is proposed. The process of chloride ion diffusion is analyzed by the CA-based method and a nonlinear solution of the Fick＇s second law is obtained. Considering the impact of various factors such as stress states, temporal and spatial variability of diffusion parameters and water-cement ratio on the process of chloride ion diffusion, the model of chloride ion diffusion under multi-factor coupling actions is presented. A chloride ion penetrating experiment reported in the literature is used to prove the effectiveness and reasonability of the present method, and a T-type beam is taken as an illustrative example to analyze the process of chloride ion diffusion in practical application. The results indicate that CA-based method can simulate the diffusion of chloride ion in the concrete structures with acceptable precision.

Lifetime Reliability Analysis of Flexural Cracking for Prestressed Concrete Bridge

Time-dependant reliability is analyzed for the flexural cracking of prestressed concrete bridges under service limit state. The limit state function and random variables are derived from Chinese highway bridge design specifications. For deterioration of structural performances, chloride-induced reinforcement corrosion is emphasized. Through integrating first order reliability method （FORM） and time discretized approach, the time-variant reliability is evaluated. For illustrative propose, the reliability of a typical simply supported prestressed concrete beam is exemplified.

Numerical Simulation Analysis of Welded Joints in Arch Ribs of Large Span Steel Pipe Arch Bridges

In order to study the residual stress distribution law of welded joints of arch ribs of large-span steel pipe concrete arch bridges,numerical simulation of temperature,stress and strain fields based on ABAQUS for welded joints of arch-ribbed steel tubes using 7-,8-and 9-layer welds is carried out and its accuracy is demonstrated.The steel pipe welding temperature changes,residual stress distribution,different processes residual stress changes in the law,the prediction of post-weld residual stress distribution and deformation are studied in this paper.The results show that the temperature field values and test results are more consistent with the accuracy of numerical simulation of welding,the welding process is mainly in the form of heat transfer;Residual high stresses are predominantly distributed in the Fusion zone(FZ)and Heat-affected zone(HAZ),with residual stress levels tending to decrease from the center of the weld along the axial path,the maximum stress appears in the FZ and HAZ junction;The number of welding layers has an effect on the residual stress distribution,the number of welding layers increases,the residual stress tends to decrease,while the FZ and HAZ high stress area range shrinks;Increasing the number of plies will increase the amount of residual distortion.

Dynamic finite element model updating of prestressed concrete continuous box-girder bridge

The dynamic finite element model （FEM） of a prestressed concrete continuous box-girder bridge, called the Tongyang Canal Bridge, is built and updated based on the results of ambient vibration testing （AVT） using a real-coded accelerating genetic algorithm （RAGA）. The objective functions are defined based on natural frequency and modal assurance criterion （MAC） metrics to evaluate the updated FEM. Two objective functions are defined to fully account for the relative errors and standard deviations of the natural frequencies and MAC between the AVT results and the updated FEM predictions. The dynamically updated FEM of the bridge can better represent its structural dynamics and serve as a baseline in long-term health monitoring, condition assessment and damage identification over the service life of the bridge .

Simplified full-depth precast concrete deck panel systems for accelerated bridge construction

A simplified full-depth precast concrete deck panel system for accelerating bridge construction （ABC） is introduced and a finite dement analysis （FEA） is con- ducted to investigate the static and dynamic responses of this conceptual deck system. The FEA results are compared to those of the traditional full-depth precast concrete deck panel system. The comparison results show that the mechanical behavior of the new deck system is different from that of the traditional deck system. The concrete decks in the new system act as two-way slabs, instead of the one-way slab in the traditional system. Meanwhile, the connections in both the longitudinal and transverse direc- tions may need to accommodate the negative moments. Compared to those in the traditional system, the longitu- dinal nominal stress at middle span increases a lot in the new deck system and the effective flange width varies significantly. In addition, the dynamic results show that the impact factor is influenced by the spacing of connections. Finally, some design concerns of the new deck system are proposed.

Simulation of Temperature Field in Original Segment of Concrete Box-Girder Bridge

Temperature field and its variation with time are necessary for analyzing the thermo-mechanical performance of mass concrete structures at their early ages. This paper carries out a temperature field simulation analysis for an original segment of a real box girder bridge with the finite element software ANSYS. Two representative exothermic rate models are used to describe the heat- releasing process caused by the cement hydration in concrete. The exothermic rate model that conforms to reality more closely is recognized by comparing the simulation results with the data gathered from the optical fiber temperature sensors pre-embedded in the original segment. The air temperature and wind velocity that constitute thermal boundary conditions are determined in the light of the local meteorological department and correlative research achievements of recent years. Moreover, the consideration for the steel formwork acting as a barrier to heat loss is also proved to be beneficial to improve the simulation effect.

Enhanced air-coupled impact echo technique by phase analysis of signals from multiple sensors

This paper presents an air-coupled impact echo(IE)technique that relies on the phase spectrum of the collected data to find the frequencies corresponding to the reflections from delaminations.The proposed technique takes advantage of the fact that the IE compression wave is not a propagating wave,but it is the 1st order symmetrical(S1)mode Lamb wave at zero group velocity(S1-ZGV).Therefore,it searches the phase spectra of the data collected by multiple sensors to locate the frequency corresponding to the lowest phase difference.As a result,the technique reduces the effect of propagating waves,including the direct acoustic wave and ambient noise.It is named the Constant Phase IE(CPIE).The performance of the CPIE is experimentally compared with the regular amplitude spectrum-based IE technique and two other multisensor IE techniques.The CPIE shows a performance advantage,especially in a noisy environment.

Residual drift spectra for RC bridge columns subjected to near-fault earthquakes

Permanent displacement of a bridge column can be directly measured during the inspection after near-fault earthquakes.However,the engineer needs to estimate the expected residual drift at the design stage to determine if the bridge seismic performance is satisfactory.The most direct method to estimate the residual displacement is nonlinear response history analysis,which is time consuming and cumbersome.Alternatively,an attractive but indirect method is generating estimated residual displacement spectra that depend on displacement ductility demand,column period,site conditions,and earthquake characteristics.Given the period and the expected displacement ductility demand for the column,the residual drift response spectra curves can be utilized to estimate the residual drift demand.Residual drift spectra that are applicable to RC bridge columns in different parts of the United States were developed based on nonlinear response history analyses using a comprehensive collection of recorded and synthetic near-fault ground motions and were linked to one-second spectral acceleration(S1)of the AASHTO maps.It was also found that the residual drift ratio is below one percent when S1 is less than 0.6 g.

Thermomechanical analysis of long-term global modal and local deformation measurements of the Kishwaukee Bridge using the bootstrap

In this paper we present a comparative analysis of global frequency and local deformation data for a large concrete bridge. The asymptotic probability distributions of the central statistics are presented, and compared with empirical bootstrap estimates. Bootstrapped distributions are calculated from reference data obtained during 1999–2000 and used to develop change-point alarm criteria for the structure, using reasonable sensitivity measures developed from FEM simulations and structural analysis. The implications of the frequency data are discussed in conjunction with the strain and displacement measurements in order to discern if the load carrying capacity of the bridge has been affected. The critical need for more advanced temperature compensation models for large structures continually in thermal disequilibrium is discussed.

Review and discussion on fire behavior of bridge girders

This paper presents an overview on fire behavior of bridge girders mainly including prestressed concrete(PC) bridge girders and steel bridge girders. The typical fire accidents occurred on bridges are illustrated and, the seriousness of posing threats to bridge structures resulted from increasing traffic fires, specially intense hydrocarbon fires generated from petrol-chemicals, is highlighted. The current researches, embracing high-temperature properties of constituent materials, prestress state, measurement in fire tests, numerical methods, structural fire resistance, and so forth, taken on coping with problems existing in fire behavior and structural fire behavior in bridge girders are reviewed and discussed. Further, strategies for enhancing fire resistance of bridge girders followed with failure criterion and mode in types of bridge structures are provided. Future research area along with emerging trends in structural fire behavior of bridge girders is also recommended for mitigating fire hazards occurred on bridge girders. Herein, it can be attained a conclusion from review and discussion that prestressed concrete bridge girders with thin webs, specially T-shaped bridge girder, are prone to unstable under fire exposure conditions. High-strength concrete utilized in prestressed concrete bridge girders is vulnerable to spalling at elevated temperature. Steel-truss bridge girder present a more significant fragility to fire exposure compared than other steel bridge girders.

Temperature Field of PC Box Girder Bridge Based on GPRS Temperature Collection System

In order to study the temperature distribution and the corresponding temperature effects on pre-stressed concrete（PC） curved box girder bridge in Shandong Province, this paper builds and adopts an automatic remote real-time temperature collection system to collect temperature data on site, and further uses the software ANSYS for analysis. Based on the comparisons between the measured data and the simulation results, the following conclusions can be drawn： 1 Our temperature monitoring system is reliable; 2 The corresponding measured data of the web plate and flange plate exposed to the sun, vary more severely than that at other positions, so these plates need higher standard design and construction requirements; 3 In the cold wave where still is sunshine, the box girder temperature effect behaves as sine-like curve.