Mufti 2002
Mufti 2002
Aftab A. Mufti*
ISIS Canada (Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures) is a Federally Funded Network of Centers
of Excellence dedicated to civil engineering research with a focus on fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs)
and integrated fibre optic sensing (FOS) technologies. Over the next eight years, ISIS Canada intends
to significantly change the design and construction of civil engineering structures throughout the world.
For changes in design and construction to be accepted, it is mandatory that the innovative structures
be monitored. In the process, ISIS will strive to bring about widespread use of new technologies for
infrastructure projects.
89
of specialty areas including the replacement of due to inadequate maintenance, excess loading
steel reinforcing bars in concrete decks by (relative to their original design and expected
randomly distributed chopped fibres, and the usage), and adverse environmental conditions
replacement of steel prestressing cables for (salt, acid rain, etc.). In the United States
prestressed concrete by tension elements, which alone there are more than 200,000 deficient
comprise longitudinally oriented fibres embedded bridges, and in Canada, there are approximately
in a polymer. For the repair and strengthening 30,000. It is estimated that between 150 and 200
of existing structures by the addition of fibre- spans collapse each year, sometimes with tragic
reinforced polymers (FRPs), research is being consequences.
conducted into increased axial, bending and shear Germany was the first country to instrument
strength of concrete beams and columns, as well bridges with integrated FOSs, although these
as applications to timber and masonry structures. sensors are considered relatively primitive by
There is a need to conduct basic research into today’s standards because they can only monitor
FRP materials regarding durability, longevity and transient events. These first FOSs were non-
performance under fire conditions. Effectiveness localized (so that the entire length of the optical
under seismic loading is another area of needed fibre was sensitive to the structural variables),
research. This research is in progress under the and had very limited strain resolution.
directive of ISIS Canada on a variety of FRP The current fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sen-
products, as shown in Figure 1. sors are based on a passive spectral ratiometric
approach using a low power, broad bandwidth
light source. To interrogate many sensors, a
3 Intelligent Sensing multiplexing system has been used that involves
sequential measurements, thus limiting dynamic
By and large, today’s bridges and roads do not response capability. However, the requirement
have ‘‘intelligence’’ built in, so they cannot take to monitor many FOSs simultaneously over
advantage of the benefits of the advancing long distances with complete dynamic spectrum
technologies available for structural health mon- capability necessitates a new approach involving
itoring. They are also in a poor state of repair tunable laser light sources.
As shown in Figure 2, ISIS Canada is including three bridges, one overpass, one park-
involved in the development of four types of fibre ing structure and several experimental columns
optic sensors. The most recent development work in a laboratory. The remote monitoring system is
focuses on the new Long Gauge fibre optic shown in Figure 3.
sensor and the development of sensors based on Results of an ISIS Canada research project
Brilloun scattering. located at the University of Alberta show that
wireless technology achieves continuous monitor-
ing of structures while reducing the volume
4 Remote Monitoring and Intelligent of data collected and power consumed, thus
Processing increasing the lifespan of instruments [2].
ISIS Canada’s University of Alberta research
In the past, monitoring of structures was carried node and Optimum Instruments Inc. have
out by transporting measuring devices to a introduced a second generation wireless datalog-
specific site each time a set of readings was ger and radio modem that connects a monitored
required. Over the past two years, remote mon- site to an office. The DRM-1200 Wireless Data-
itoring techniques have been developed using logger eliminates the need for permanent site
lasers, FOSs and remote data collection and installations, phone hookups, power, and site
processing. No longer does a researcher or main- heating. When combined with new internet
tenance engineer have to travel to the site. management technologies, it also facilitates effi-
Conditions at the structure can be monitored in a cient management of monitoring networks, with
remote office using a desktop computer. Prior to minimal overhead costs for data collection and
ISIS Canada, this type of monitoring of bridges scheduled maintenance.
and structures was not being done. Ongoing The wireless technology is self-monitoring
ISIS research and development has resulted in a and issues alarm warnings to a central computer.
software package for monitoring structures, It can also report low battery or loss of
which is currently available to all ISIS field solar power. Currently, the technology is
monitoring teams through the internet. Data being used with conventional strain gauges,
collected and analyzed over the next few years is although a wireless remote monitoring system
likely to have a considerable impact on the design for fibre optic sensors is being designed and
of civil engineering structures. To date, many constructed at ISIS Canada’s University of
structures across Canada have been monitored, Toronto node.
5 Smart Structures
application. New opportunities for applying ISIS were used to pretension four girders while
Canada technology are increasing as evidenced by the other two girders were pretensioned using
the growing number of field demonstration two Leadline rod tendons produced by
projects underway. The projects range from a Mitsubishi Kasei.
new concrete steel-free bridge deck for the Fibre optic Bragg grating strain and tempera-
Salmon River Bridge in Nova Scotia, to the ture sensors were used to monitor structural
strengthening of a nuclear containment structure behaviour during construction and under service-
in Quebec, to the testing of timber piles for use ability conditions. The four-channel Bragg
in an Inuvik housing project in the cold, northern grating fibre laser sensing system was developed
region of Canada. for this purpose at the University of Toronto
Out of thirty-six projects that are being Institute for Aerospace Studies.
monitored for health, seven are described below. Before constructing the bridge, an experimen-
tal program was conducted at the University
of Manitoba’s W.R. McQuade Laboratory to
7.1 Beddington Trail Bridge, Alberta examine the behaviour of scale model beams
(Calgary) pretensioned by the same type, size, and anchor-
In 1992, the Beddington Trail Bridge in Calgary, age of the two different tendons used for the
Alberta, as shown in Figure 5, was one of the bridge girders. The tests compared results using
first bridges in Canada to be outfitted with FRP the same optic sensor as that used for the bridge
tendons and a system of structurally integrated in addition to electric resistance strain gauges.
optical sensors for remote monitoring [4]. The Prestressing of carbon FRP was adapted by
bridge opened in 1993, before ISIS Canada was coupling the carbon fibre composite cables and
formed. It is significant to the ISIS network Leadline rods to conventional steel strands.
because for the group of researchers involved, it Couplers helped to minimize the length of carbon
confirmed the need for an organization, like ISIS FRP tendons, and were staggered to allow use of
Canada, that could spearhead transferring this the same spacing for the conventional steel
new technology to industry. reinforcing tendons.
The Beddington Bridge is a two-span, The Leadline rods were cut at the site and
continuous skew bridge of 22.83 and 19.23-m two rods were used for each tendon. The carbon
spans, each consisting of 13 bulb-Tee section, fibre composite cables were delivered precut to
pre-cast, prestressed concrete girders. Two differ- the specified length with 300-mm die cast at each
ent types of FRP tendons were used to pretension end to distribute the stresses at the anchoring
six precast concrete girders. Carbon fibre compo- zone. Construction of the bridge and handling
site cables produced by Tokyo Rope of Japan of the girders at the site was typical.
Figure 5 On-site monitoring. (a) accessing fibre optic junction box; (b) bridge testing.
A four-channel Bragg grating fibre laser awards including the prestigious NOVA award
sensor system was used at different locations from the Construction Innovation Forum (CIF)
along the bridge girders that were pretensioned of the United States.
by the carbon FRP. Each fibre laser was attached The deck contains no rebar (refer to
to the surface of the tendon to serve as a sensor. Figure 6). Instead, longitudinal beams or girders
The sensors were connected, through a modular support it. The load is transferred from the deck
system, to a laptop computer used at the to the supporting girders in the same way that an
construction site to record the measurements arch transfers loads to supporting columns.
at different stages of construction and after Although steel straps are applied to tie the girders
completion of the bridge. together, because they are not embedded in
The optic sensor system measures the abso- the concrete they can be easily monitored and
lute strain rather than a strain relative to an inexpensively replaced.
initial calibration value similar to the electric The Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
resistance strain gauges and mechanical gauges. of the steel-free bridge deck was conducted by
In 1999, the bridge was tested statically installing sensors, as shown in Figure 7. SHM
and dynamically to assess the durability of fibre indicates that the load sharing of the Salmon
optic sensors. After six years, all FOSs were River Highway Bridge is similar to that of
functioning. This finding validates the view that conventional decks, as shown in Figure 8.
FOSs are durable and reliable for long-term With no steel inside the concrete, no unneces-
monitoring. sary weight is added, meaning thinner deck
designs. The steel straps are welded to the top
flanges of the girders, thereby resisting any lateral
7.2 Salmon River Highway Bridge, movement. The Salmon River steel-free bridge
Nova Scotia deck has withstood a number of Canadian
winters, and it appears to be defying the conven-
The first steel-free deck-slab in Canada was cast
on the Salmon River Bridge, part of the Trans
Canada 104 Highway near Kemptown, Nova
Scotia [5]. Construction of the bridge, which
consists of two 31-m spans, includes a steel-free
deck over one span and a conventional steel
reinforced deck over the other. Internal arching
in the slabs helps transfer the loads to the girders.
The cost of the steel-free side was six percent
more than the steel-reinforced side, although the
overall design tends to be less expensive than
conventional decks. This is because steel-free
decks do not suffer from corrosion, so traditional
maintenance costs are greatly reduced. This con-
cept has won six national and international Figure 6 Casting of the steel-free deck.
tional approach to building steel-reinforced of today’s increased traffic loads [6]. Calgary’s
bridge decks. There are six steel-free bridge decks Crowchild Bridge, shown in Figure 9, is one such
across Canada. case. The new 90-m long, 11-m wide bridge
carries two lanes of traffic over its three
continuous spans. While the deck slab itself is
7.3 Crowchild Trail Bridge, Alberta free of reinforcing, it is supported by five steel
(Calgary) girders and external steel straps. Glass FRP C-
Many of Canada’s bridges require upgrading bars were used to provide the continuity and to
because they were not built to handle the weight minimize the transverse cracks of the steel-free
deck over the intermediate bridge piers. Based on
the results of a full-scale model test at the
Load Distribution Factors
Truck in South Lane University of Manitoba, glass FRP C-bars were
2.0 also used to reinforce the cantilever slabs of the
bridge. On a tendered basis it proved to be the
Load Distribution Factor
1.5
least costly option.
The deck has cantilevers on either side,
Measured
1.0
reinforced with glass FRP rods. To reduce initial
FEA shrinkage concrete surface cracks, the bridge deck
0.5
concrete contains short random polypropylene
fibres. This bridge is stronger, more resistant to
0.0
corrosion and less expensive to maintain than if it
1 2 3 4 5 6 had been constructed using traditional methods
Girder Location
and materials.
The bridge is also outfitted with remote
Figure 8 Load sharing of the Salmon River Highway monitoring technology: eighty-one strain gauges,
Bridge.
nineteen embedded gauges, five thermistors, three structures using FRPs will become standard
smart glass rebars and two fibre optic gauges practice through time, with the inner core of steel
are used. The bridge is being monitored for reinforcement considered unnecessary.
long-term behaviour and to confirm innovative
structural behaviour, as predicted theoretically.
7.5 Taylor Bridge, Manitoba
(Headingley)
7.4 Hall’s Harbour Wharf, Hall’s
A significant international research breakthrough
Harbour, NS
was achieved on October 8, 1998 when
Hall’s Harbour Wharf in Nova Scotia is a 96- Manitoba’s Department of Highways and
year-old combination wharf/breakwater, shown Transportation opened the award-winning Taylor
in Figure 10 [7]. It is the world’s first marine Bridge in Headingley [8].
structure with FOSs embedded in a steel-free Shown in Figure 14, the two-lane, 165.1-
concrete deck for remote monitoring. It is metre-long structure has four out of 40 precast
designed to last 80 years – three times longer girders reinforced with carbon FRP stirrups.
than traditional construction methods. This These girders are prestressed with carbon FRP
design received the ‘‘Award of Excellence’’ from cables and bars. Glass FRP reinforces portions of
the Canadian Consulting Engineer Association. the barrier walls. As a demonstration project, it is
The new wharf consists of piles supporting vital that the new materials be tested under the
concrete beams and deck elements above an same conditions as conventional steel reinforce-
armour stone and timber crib breakwater. The
concrete beams are designed with a hybrid
reinforcement scheme of steel and glass FRP
rods. The outer durable layer of FRP protects
the inner core of steel reinforcement, which was
included for code considerations. The deck
consists of precast steel-free concrete bridge
deck panels modified to meet the durability needs
of this structure. Refer to Figures 11–13.
The design is based on draft versions of both the
Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code and
Figure 11 3D view of deck and beam details.
the American Concrete Institute Code.
It is anticipated that rehabilitation of marine
Deck Panel Pilecap
Armour Stone
Timber
Fender Pile
Harbour
Bottom
Bedrock Concrete-Filled
Pipe Pile
(a) (b)
400 0
(a)
(b)
Figure 12 (a) Cross section and sensor locations; (b) installed sensors.
2
6
no. of sensors
FRP (Leadline)
A FRP (CFCC)
2
8 2
16 16
4 4
4 4
2
2
A 5 spans @ 33 m
PLAN VIEW
ment – thus only a portion of the bridge is optic sensors called Bragg gratings, loading and
designed using FRP. temperature are being measured.
Two types of carbon FRP reinforcements A 32-channel fibre optic grating indicator, FLS
were used in the Taylor Bridge. Carbon fibre 3500R, is used for strain measurements. The
composite cables produced by Tokyo Rope, system is connected to a computer to download
Japan, were used to pretension two girders, the strain readings using a telephone line.
while the other two girders were pretensioned The bridge is also being monitored by 26 conven-
using indented leadline bars produced by tional electrical strain gauges mounted on
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Japan. Two of the reinforcement so as to verify the readings of
the four girders were reinforced for shear using the FOSs. A 32-channel data logging system
carbon FRP stirrups and leadline bars in a (CR 10X) and two 16-channel multiplexing units
rectangular cross section. The other two beams are used for strain measurements. This system
were reinforced for shear, using epoxy coated is also connected to an internal modem to down-
steel rebars. load the strain data using an additional telephone
The deck slab was reinforced by indented line as shown in Figures 15 and 16.
leadline bars similar to the reinforcement used for
prestressing. Glass FRP reinforcement produced
by Marshall Industries Composites Inc. was used 7.6 Joffre Bridge, Québec
to reinforce a portion of the Jersey-type barrier In early August 1997, the province of
wall. Double-headed stainless steel tension Québec accepted the challenge of constructing
bars were used for the connection between the an innovative bridge using carbon FRP. By
barrier wall and the deck slab. opening day December 6, 1997, the Joffre
The bridge has a fibre optic structural sensing Bridge, spanning the Saint Francois River, was
system that will allow engineers to compare another significant contribution to the increasing
the long-term behaviour of the two materials. collection of polymer reinforced bridges in
This remote monitoring is the key to acquiring Canada [9].
data on FRP that will ultimately help it gain A portion of the Joffre Bridge concrete
widespread acceptance through national and deck slab is reinforced with carbon FRP, as is a
international codes of practice. Using 64 fibre portion of the traffic barrier and the sidewalk.
The bridge is outfitted extensively with different concrete deck slab and on the steel girders, to
kinds of monitoring instruments, including FOSs monitor the behaviour of the FRP reinforcement
embedded in the FRP reinforcement (smart rein- under real-time conditions. The instrumentation
forcements). Over 180 instruments (FOSs, vibrat- is also providing valuable information on long-
ing wire strain sensors and electrical strain term performance of the concrete deck slab
gauges) are installed at critical locations in the reinforced with these new materials, in that all
9 Technology Utilization
Acknowledgements
References
Figure 21 CHBDC and CSA code books.
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