ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Drive-by bridge inspection method is a method by which the bridg's dynamic characteristics or health status are identified from the dynamic responses of an inspection vehicle when passing over the target bridge. In this study, a homemade trailer being tailored for capturing bridge vibrations more effectively was designed and assembled. After the assembly and tuning, the trailer was towed by a commercial car and tested on a 40-m long simply-supported bridge in field. Four artificial damage scenarios were introduced into the bridge, including an intact state, an artificial crack in the girder, recovery of the crack and an artificial freezing of a hinge support. From the field moving vehicle tests, the bridge's fundamental frequency could be successfully identified and the change in the frequency caused by the freezing of the support could be detected, verifying the feasibility and the reliability of the drive-by method using the homemade trailer.
