Multi-Monostatic Interferometric Radar for Bridge Monitoring

Abstract

In recent years, interferometric radar has been extensively used as a sensor for static and dynamic monitoring of bridges. Generally speaking, a radar can only detect displacement components along the view direction. As the movement of a real bridge or of a large structure can be rather complex, this limitation can be a significant drawback in engineering practice. In order to overcome this limitation, in this article, a multi-monostatic radar for retrieving the displacement vector is proposed. It is basically a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) interferometric radar, equipped with a transponder that consists of a pair of antennae, with relative amplifiers, connected to the radar with a radiofrequency (RF) cable. This arrangement allows for the simultaneous detection of two independent displacement components. The radar was successfully tested both in a controlled environment and in the field on a real bridge crossing the Arno river in Florence, Italy.