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Recent developments in bridge weigh in motion (B-WIM)

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Abstract

Bridge weigh in motion (B-WIM) uses accurate sensing systems to transform an existing bridge into a mechanism to determine actual traffic loading. This information on traffic loading can enable efficient and economical management of transport networks and is becoming a valuable tool for bridge safety assessment. B-WIM can provide site-specific traffic loading on deteriorating bridges, which can be used to determine if the reduced capacity is still sufficient to allow the structure to remain operational and minimise unnecessary replacement or rehabilitation costs and prevent disruption to traffic. There have been numerous reports on the accuracy classifications of existing B-WIM installations and some common issues have emerged. This paper details some of the recent developments in B-WIM which were aimed at overcoming these issues. A new system has been developed at Queens University Belfast using fibre optic sensors to provide accurate axle detection and improved accuracy overall. The results presented in this paper show that the fibre optic system provided much more accurate results than conventional WIM systems, as the FOS provide clearer signals at high scanning rates which require less filtering and less post-processing. A major disadvantage of existing B-WIM systems is the inability to deal with more than one vehicle on the bridge at the same time; sensor strips have been proposed to overcome this issue. A bridge can be considered safe if the probability that load exceeds resistance is acceptably low, hence B-WIM information from advanced sensors can provide confidence in our ageing structures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of DEL, Invest Northern Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and the United States National Science Foundation for this project. The assistance of the Technical Staff at Queens University Belfast and the staff at Cestel (SiWIM) and ZAG is sincerely appreciated. The authors would also like to thanks the Northern Ireland Roads Service and Transport NI for their cooperation throughout the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intelligent Infrastructure Group, School of Planning, Architecture, and Civil Engineering, David Keir Building, Queen’s University, Belfast, BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland

    Myra Lydon, S. E. Taylor & D. Robinson

  2. ISIS Canada Resource Centre, A250-96 Dafoe Rd, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    A. Mufti

  3. School of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland

    E. J. O. Brien

Authors
  1. Myra Lydon
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  2. S. E. Taylor
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  3. D. Robinson
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  4. A. Mufti
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  5. E. J. O. Brien
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Correspondence to Myra Lydon.

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Lydon, M., Taylor, S.E., Robinson, D. et al. Recent developments in bridge weigh in motion (B-WIM). J Civil Struct Health Monit 6, 69–81 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-015-0119-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-015-0119-6

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