Structural Health Monitoring of Typical Urban Bridges in the Netherlands Combining Collapse Simulations and Monitoring Data

Abstract

Bridges play a vital role in the European transport network, and their preservation is of utmost importance. Despite many centuries- old bridges still being in use in European cities, their structural integrity may be compromised due to factors like material degradation, increased traffic loads, extreme events, or slow deformation phenomena. It is essential to regularly assess the current conditions of these structures and monitor their evolution over time to enable timely intervention when necessary. This study presents the first results of a multidisciplinary methodology for the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of typical urban bridges in the Netherlands, combining numerical simulations using the Applied Element Method (AEM) with monitoring data derived from various sensing sources. These sources range from standard in situ techniques to satellite remote sensing using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR). The methodology is applied to a representative bridge of Amsterdam canals. The nonlinear analyses have led to a numerically predicted crack pattern consistent with on-site observations. The simulated damage progression until collapse identifies critical points of the bridge to be kept under control with monitoring activities.