Using High-Rate GPS Data to Monitor the Dynamic Behavior of a Cable-Stayed Bridge

Ana Paula Camargo Larocca

Abstract:	This paper presents the results of the first real application, over one cable-stayed bridge, of a research under improvement since 2000 and presents the results of the monitoring of dynamic behavior under traffic load of Hawkshaw Cable-stayed Bridge, in New Brunswick, Canada. This bridge has 2 lanes, with total length of 301.20 m and its main span of 217.32 m is supported by two towers of 36 m of height. Two sessions of 1-hour GPS data have been conducted on the 30th October 2003. For each session, 5 GPS receivers (NOVATEL OEM4- DL4 and TRIMBLE 5700) were used, observing at a data rate of 0.2 seconds; one triaxial accelerometer and one total station. These GPS data were processed and analyzed by using a different method (SCHAAL et al., 2001; 2002; LAROCCA, 2004) that is described below. This method is part of a research in which the main objective is to confirm that GPS can be used as a trustworthy tool for characterizing the dynamic behavior of large structures, such as bridges, footbridges, tall buildings and towers, undergoing dynamic loads. Data analyses of Hawkshaw Bridge trial provide results that confirmed the potentiality of the method. Results presented on this paper agree with international trends in the engineering community. These trends include dynamic testing, monitoring of long span bridges and the dissemination and practice of monitoring systems that provide reliable data analysis and interpretation (SUMITRO, 2001; FARRAR, et al, 1999). This permits that assumptions used in the bridge design are correctly verified by conventional instrumentation and GPS. It is important to mention that there is not previous information about the Hawkshaw Bridge dynamic behavior, according to New Brunswick Department of Transportation.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 17th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2004) September 21 - 24, 2004 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, CA
Pages:	225 - 234
Cite this article:	Larocca, Ana Paula Camargo, "Using High-Rate GPS Data to Monitor the Dynamic Behavior of a Cable-Stayed Bridge," Proceedings of the 17th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2004), Long Beach, CA, September 2004, pp. 225-234.
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