Advanced bridge monitoring application for analysing actual structural performance of UHPFRC constructions - Wild Bridge

Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) presents one of the superior classes of new cement base composites with the potential to achieve the requirements for bridge constructions of the future. Not only the advantage of leading to a high economy in construction contribute to this objective but the advantage of reaching high service life and a reduction of maintenance will contribute as well. Nevertheless, only few prototypes have been built up now by using this material. This paper is aimed at highlighting the first stages of a case study where the use of a structural health monitoring system to analyse actual structural performance of the Wild bridge will lead to gain practical experience regarding structural performance of UHPFRC road bridge constructions, to help in spreading the use of this profitable concept concrete and to the standardisation bodies´ goal. The designed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) concept will be carried out by using distributed fibre optic strain and temperature sensors, in combination with dynamic non destructive measurements for obtaining periodically updated information and an inverse FEM for developing actual performance life cycle models. To consider stress distributions in the arch due to dead loads from the bridge deck, the monitoring starts from the construction stage. The main goal is the analysis of the structural performance under different life cycle operational environments. The long term objective is developing performance based models for improving present UHPFRC design tools but also those regarding optimised prognosis strategy for maintenance planning in the field of transportation infrastructure.