PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-06-0017
Project Name:	Monitoring of Wind Conditions and Bridge Behavior at Select Bridge Sites
Status:	Active
Contact:	Last Name: Bosch First Name: Harold R Telephone: 202-493-3031 E-mail: harold.bosch@dot.gov
Organization:	Federal Highway Administration - Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Team:	Hazard Mitigation Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap
Project Description:	Full-scale measurements are a vital component of our program to advance understanding of wind effects on transportation structures. Such measurements provide detailed information on site wind conditions and structural behavior that is not available from any other source. They aid in the design of and serve to validate simulations in the laboratory. Full-scale measurements can provide a means to calibrate the results of numerical predictions or computational simulations. They can also be used to diagnose wind-related structural problems and to evaluate the effectiveness of aerodynamic retrofits made to bridges. Historically, field tests have consistently been a highly productive way to advance our understanding of the interaction of loads with structures.
Laboratories:	Aerodynamics Laboratory
Start Date:	September 1, 2006
End Date:	September 30, 2015
Funding Amount:	$210,000.00
FHWA Program Name:	Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment
Goals:	The objective of this study is to continue a vital program of field testing and monitoring of select structures to further clarify wind/structure interaction issues, advance techniques for evaluating and predicting structural behavior, evaluating the effectiveness of new designs and retrofit countermeasures.
Project Type:	Onsite and Offsite
Background Information:	Data not yet available
Test Methodology:	Currently, two bridges are being monitored; one for the long term and one for the short term. The instrumentation systems deployed operate autonomously, but are supervised remotely from Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Wind and weather conditions are measured by anemometers and other meteorological sensors, while bridge behavior is measured primarily by accelerometers. Bridge sites will be dropped and others will be added as appropriate and as opportunities arise.
Other Information:	Bridge access and logistical support are provided by the Maine Department of Transportation and the Louisiana Department of Transportation as needed.
Partners:	Data not yet available
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	Data not yet available
Expected Benefits:	Data not yet available
Deliverables:	Name: Research report. Product Type(s): Research report Description: The deliverable will consist of one or several research reports as appropriate to document site wind conditions and structural performance under those conditions. For bridges that are retrofitted during the period of monitoring, the effectiveness of the retrofit or its impact on structural performance will be documented. Audiences: Researchers, Bridge design professionals, Federal Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center staff, State highway agencies, Wind engineers, Bridge countermeasure design professionals, Bridge owners Secondary Audiences:
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	Data not yet available
FHWA Topics:	Roads and Bridges--Design Roads and Bridges--Structures Roads and Bridges--Major Projects
TRT Terms:	Bridges Long Span Bridges Structural Health Monitoring Wind Testing Infrastructure Research Aerodynamics
FHWA Disciplines:	Structures Design Environment
Subject Areas:	Bridges and other structures Design Environment