ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Construction of Delaware’s new Indian River Inlet Bridge is being planned. An innovative 305 m single-rib concrete arch bridge was designed by the Figg Engineering Group (Pate, 2004). In an effort to allow the Delaware Department ofTransportation (DelDOT) to better maintain and operate the bridge, the Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering (CIBrE) at the University of Delaware is planning to install a permanent long-term structural health monitoring system on the bridge. Working closely with DelDOT and Figg from the initiation of the project, the research team has designed a comprehensive monitoring system for the bridge. The system will enable monitoring of critical behaviors during construction and continuous monitoring during normal operation. The health monitoring system will be used to verify the innovative design, to monitor the structure during construction, and to track the long-term performance of the bridge. The data from the system will become part of the maintenance and inspection records for the bridge, which will enable DelDOT to better maintain and operate the bridge throughout its life. The health monitoring system includes numerous embedded and surface mounted sensors distributed throughout the bridge, a networked data acquisition system, power and communications conduits, and a central processing system. Critical to the success of the design was the close coordination maintained with the design team, design review team, and owner throughout the entire design process.
