Damage Detection in Bridge Structures under Moving Vehicle Loads Using Delay Vector Variance Method

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of the nonlinearity of acceleration measurements to bridge damage identification. Delay vector variance (DVV) method is applied to analyze the measured dynamic responses and to identify damage to bridges under moving vehicle loads. First, the DVV algorithm and its quantification method, the vehicle-bridge coupling system, and source of nonlinearity in dynamic responses are introduced. The feasibility of this damage identification method is theoretically explained. Then numerical studies on a simply supported beam under moving vehicle loads are conducted to investigate the influence of different crack models in identifying damage. Finally, experimental studies are carried out to verify the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the method can be used to identify concrete cracking damage in simply supported beam bridges under moving vehicle loads. The method has certain robustness to environmental noise, and damage identification results are not sensitive to the location of sensors.