Assessment of a real-life concrete bridge structure using vibration-based damage detection method

Abstract

Structural damage is usually presented in the form of decrease in stiffness resulting changes in the dynamic behavior of the structure, and natural frequency of the structure being one of the dynamic variables. A vibration-based damage detection method was employed to evaluate the structural health condition of a deteriorated bridge. The bridge has been closed for the traffic due to owing the extreme deteriorated health condition because of the immense existence of chloride ion in the airborne particles of the saline environment. This study presents, the comparison of natural frequencies of the year 2017 to that acquired in the year 2016 using vibration-based damage detection method. Even though the bridge was not exposed to the service load during the study period, yet, the results manifested decrement in natural frequencies revealing decline in structural stiffness in this period.