Vehicle Load Estimation Using the Reaction Force of a Vertical Displacement Sensor Based on Fiber Bragg Grating

Abstract

Accurately calculating the vehicle load acting on a bridge at any one time is crucial to determining the integrity and safety of the bridge. To ensure this integrity and safety, information on the types, characteristics, and load of vehicles that regularly cross the bridge is very important in terms of its structural adequacy and maintenance. In this study, the vehicle load that a bridge will be subjected to was estimated using the reaction force response at the support. To estimate this response to the reaction force, a vertical displacement sensor, developed based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), was applied to the Eradi Quake System (EQS), a commercially available bridge bearing. This vertical displacement sensor can measure the vertical load and has the advantage of being easy to attach and detach. To verify the performance and accuracy of this sensor, this study conducted numerical analysis and vehicle loading tests. It found that the vehicle load can be estimated from the reaction force response, as measured by the vertical displacement sensor on the bridge.