Description:
Following floods in 2021 in NSW, a program of underwater bridge inspections took place. This bridge was identified as having defects and was immediately closed to traffic, isolating a community.
EngAnalysis were engaged at short notice to provide an end to end turn key monitoring solution. The bridge engineer specified a requirement for a series of tilt meters on multiple piers. The tilt meters would initially be used to refine an FEA model of the bridge by helping define longitudinal and transverse stiffness which would become an input into assumptions for material properties and boundary conditions.
The bridge then underwent a series of progressive load tests and data was used to monitor and verify the results of load tests, and to confirm that no adverse effects were experienced at critical locations. This was a fantastic collaboration between client, engineering consultant and EngAnalysis where assumptions were validated and performance verified through data driven engineering.
The load tests were successful and the bridge was opened up to traffic. To enable opening and to provide ongoing risk indicators, EngAnalysis has continued to provide monitoring as a service. Our real time data which is accessible through our portal provides up to date tilt readings on the critical elements. If the tilt readings were to exceed predefined thresholds, an alert would be generated, triggering an immediate investigation.
This methodology allows the asset operator to open the bridge to traffic whilst repair works are planned and undertaken, all the while managing the risk to the community. This monitoring program is an excellent example of the value ad for structural health monitoring and risk indicator monitoring. What is the value of being able to maintain the bridge open to traffic? What is the value in engineers and the community being able to continue with their daily tasks, knowing the risk is being managed? These are hard to define, although we suspect the value is many times the cost of the monitoring program.