Journal of Chongqing University (English Edition) [ISSN 1671-8224]
Vol. 12 No. 3
September 2013
doi:10.11835/j.issn.1671-8224.2013.03.004
To cite this article: CHEN Yue, ZHOU Jian-ting, SHEN Pei-wen. Sensor placement of long-term health monitoring for large bridges based on the real-time correction of finite
element model [J]. J Chongqing Univ: Eng Ed [ISSN 1671-8224], 2013, 12(3): 123-130.
Sensor placement of long-term health monitoring for large bridges
based on the real-time correction of finite element model
CHEN Yue
1,†
, ZHOU Jian-ting
1
, SHEN Pei-wen
2
1
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, P.R. China
2
Chongqing Construction Science Research Institute, Chongqing 400015, P.R. China
Received 12 April 2013; received in revised form 27 May 2013
Abstract: The process of optimized placement of long-term health monitoring sensors for large bridges generally begins with
finite element models, but there will arise great discrepancies between theoretically-calculated results and actual measurements.
Therefore, rectified finite element models need to be rectified by virtue of model rectifying technology. Firstly, the result of
construction monitoring and finished state load test is used to real-time modification of finite element model. Subsequently, an
accurate finite element model is established. Secondly, the optimizing the layout of sensor with following orthogonality
guarantees orthogonal property and linear independence for the measured data. Lastly, the effectiveness and feasibility of method
in the paper is tested by real-time modifying finite element model and optimizing the layout of sensor for Nujiang Bridge.
Keywords: large bridges; health monitoring; real-time correction; optimal sensor placement
CLC number: U447 Document code: A
1 Introduction
a
In recent years, with the rapid development of
bridge construction, the number, the sophistication of
the structure, and the outstanding importance of
bridges have attracted more and more people’s
concern about health conditions of bridges in service.
It becomes the focus of study that making the real-
time monitoring of the health conditions of the
bridges. Health conditions are generally diagnosed
and evaluated by acquiring modal parameters such as
frequency, vibration mode and modal strains from
the vibration signals monitored. The collection of
vibration signal needs to be achieved by virtue of
sensor placement. Under actual testing conditions,
the inadequacy of sensors placed may result in
†
Corresponding author, CHEN Yue (陈悦): 253500184@qq.com.
Funded by the Special Found of the Ministry of Education for
Doctor Station Subject (No. 20115522110001).
getting important information difficultly, which
reflecting the key members insufficiently and
implementing health diagnosis difficultly. An access
of sensor placement will at one hand, increase the
cost of sensors and facilities going with the sensors,
and on the other hand, make it more difficult to
acquire the information. Therefore, it is necessary to
study an optimized way of sensor placement
[1-3]
.
The selection of the optimized way is the key to
optimized placement of sensors. At present, ways of
calculation of optimized placement of sensors
generally fall into traditional and non-traditional
calculations. The traditional calculation mainly
includes modal kinetic energy method, effective
independence method, singular value decomposition
method, sensitivity analysis method and so on. The
non-traditional calculations mainly include neural
network method, genetic algorithm, even simulated
annealing and so on, which are only changes of the
traditional algorithm thoughts instead of changes in
nature. What’s worse, these calculations are being
encumbered by poor optimization ability, poor