Transversal Displacement Detection of an Arched Bridge with a Multimonostatic Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Radar

Abstract

Interferometric radars are widely used for monitoring civil structures. Bridges are critical structures that need to be constantly monitored for the safety of the users. In this work, a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar was used for monitoring an arched bridge in Catanzaro, Italy. Two measurements were carried out; a first standard measurement was made in a monostatic configuration, while a subsequent measurement was carried out in a multimonostatic configuration in order to retrieve the components of the deck displacement. A method that is able to predict the measurement uncertainty as a function of the multimonostatic geometry is provided, thereby aiming to facilitate the operators in the choice of the proper experimental setup. The multimonostatic measurement revealed a displacement along the horizontal direction that was four times higher than the one along the vertical direction, while the values reported in the literature correspond to a ratio of at most around 0.2. This is the first time that such a large ratio detected by radar has been reported; at any rate, it is compatible with the arched structure of this specific bridge. This case study highlights the importance of techniques that are able to retrieve at least two components of the displacement.