Development of a wireless monitoring system for fracture-critical bridges

Jeremiah Fasl; Vasilis Samaras; Matthew Reichenbach; Todd Helwig; Sharon L. Wood; David Potter; Richard Lindenberg; Karl Frank

doi:10.1117/12.879819

19 April 2011 Development of a wireless monitoring system for fracture-critical bridges

Jeremiah Fasl, Vasilis Samaras, Matthew Reichenbach, Todd Helwig, Sharon L. Wood, David Potter, Richard Lindenberg, Karl Frank

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7983, Nondestructive Characterization for Composite Materials, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Infrastructure, and Homeland Security 2011; 79831P (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.879819
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

This paper provides a summary of ongoing research sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that seeks to improve inspection practices for steel bridges by providing the technology and methodology for real-time monitoring. In order to reduce the time and cost of installing a monitoring system, the research team elected to use wireless communications within the sensor network. The investigation considered both IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.15.4 communications protocols and identified the latter as more practical for bridge monitoring applications. Studies were conducted to investigate possible improvements in the network performance using high-gain antennas. Results from experiments conducted outside and on bridges with different antennas are presented in this paper. Although some benefits were observed using high-gain antennas, the inconsistent performance and higher cost relative to the current stock, omni-directional antennas does not justify their use.

Citation Download Citation

Jeremiah Fasl, Vasilis Samaras, Matthew Reichenbach, Todd Helwig, Sharon L. Wood, David Potter, Richard Lindenberg, and Karl Frank "Development of a wireless monitoring system for fracture-critical bridges", Proc. SPIE 7983, Nondestructive Characterization for Composite Materials, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Infrastructure, and Homeland Security 2011, 79831P (19 April 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.879819

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