Although many technologies are available to assess bridge conditions, few are available for in situ and real-time assessment of bridge conditions and to identify potential cracks in bridge girders and decks. The most reliable methods are to take field cores from the bridges or to conduct vibration tests; however, such methods are time consuming and very expensive. The objective of this study is to develop an effective, non-destructive, ultrasonic smart piezoelectric module to be used for identifying the damage in and condition of highway bridges. Such a smart sensing technology could be used to identify damage in bridge structures, monitor safety conditions, assist bridge maintenance decision-making, and help state departments of transportation perform forensic studies on bridge premature failure. Correct condition assessment and crack identification in bridge structures would also help engineers and researchers further establish a database for safe bridge evaluation and understand the mechanisms of crack and damage development, thus accelerating the advancement of research to improve bridge design and material characterization technologies.
Principal Investigator: Pizhong Qiao, Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
Sponsor: PacTrans
Scheduled completion: January 2018