Monitoring structural responses during load testing of reinforced concrete bridges: a review

Nowadays, with the aging of the bridges and the advancements in technology, load testing has emerged as an effective method to assess existing concrete bridges with missing information, or where analytical methods do not provide an accurate assessment. Two types of load tests are identified: diagnostic load tests and proof load tests. Both...

Identification of Stop Criteria for Large-Scale Laboratory Slab Tests Using Digital Image Correlation and Acoustic Emission

Advanced monitoring methods are required to identify stop criteria in proof-load tests. In this study, the combined methodology of two-dimensional digital image correlation and acoustic emission is investigated for its applicability for future implementation in field tests. The two monitoring systems are deemed to provide valuable insight...

Shear Experiments of Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders

For the assessment of existing slab-between-girder bridges, the shear capacity and failure mode are under discussion. Previous research showed that the static and fatigue punching capacity of the slabs is sufficient as a result of compressive membrane action. The girders then become the critical elements. This research studies the shear capacity...

Monitoring structural responses during proof load testing of reinforced concrete bridges: A review

Proof load testing can be an interesting method to assess existing bridges for which analytical methods are unable to provide an accurate assessment. In a proof load test, a load representative of the factored live load is applied to the bridge. If the bridge can carry this load without distress, the proof load test is success-ful, and the...

Stop Criteria for Proof Load Testing of Reinforced Concrete Structures

Existing bridges with large uncertainties can be assessed with proof load tests. In such tests, a load representative of the factored live load is applied to the structure. If the bridge can carry the load without any signs of distress or nonlinearity, the test is considered successful. Since large loads are applied in proof load tests, the...

Monitoring Shear Behavior of Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders Using Acoustic Emission and Digital Image Correlation

In the Netherlands, many prestressed concrete bridge girders are found to have insufficient shear–tension capacity. We tested four girders taken from a demolished bridge and instrumented these with traditional displacement sensors and acoustic emission (AE) sensors, and used cameras for digital image correlation (DIC). The results show that AE...