Autonomous main-cable vibration monitoring using wireless smart sensors for large-scale three-pylon suspension bridges: A case study

Abstract

Suspension bridges are supported by main cables that continue beyond the pillars to deck-level supports and must be anchored at each end of the bridge. The dynamic characteristics of the main cables are key indicators used to assess the structural health status of a bridge. In situ real-time health monitoring is an effective way to assess the dynamic characteristics. This paper presents a case study using vibration-based wireless smart sensors deployed on the main cables of a large-scale three-pylon suspension bridge to obtain its dynamic features. The methods of anti-aliasing filtering, statistical analysis and main cable tension force estimation were proposed and embedded into wireless smart sensors to provide autonomous data processing. According to the analysis of the vibration data from the main cables, the results demonstrate that the main cables have been in a stable state over time, and wireless smart sensors are promising for autonomous main-cable monitoring of large-scale three-pylon suspension bridges.