An Overview: The Application of Vibration-Based Techniques in Bridge Structural Health Monitoring

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems have been developed to evaluate structural responses to extreme events such as natural and man-made hazards. Additionally, the increasing volume of users and vehicle sizes can lead to the sudden damage and collapse of bridge structures. Hence, structural monitoring and dynamic characteristic analyses of bridge structures are critical and fundamental requirements for bridge safety. SHM can overcome the weaknesses of visual inspection practices, such as lack of resolution. However, because of computational limitations and the lack of data analysis methods, substantial quantities of SHM data have been poorly interpreted. In this paper, the SHM of bridges based on dynamic characteristics is used to assess the "health state" of bridge structures. A comprehensive SHM system using vibration-based techniques and modal identification for bridge structures are well defined. Some advanced concepts and applications regarding bridge safety evaluation methods, including damage detection and load-carrying capacity, are reviewed. For the first time, the pros and cons of each vibration technique are comprehensively evaluated, providing an advantage to the authority or structural owner when developing a bridge management database. This information can then be used for continuous structural monitoring to access and predict the bridge structure condition.