Structural Health Monitoring of a Prestressed Concrete Bridge Deck

In recent years it has become clear that many western countries infrastructures require scrupulous and continuous monitoring. The main purpose of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is the evaluation of the safety of existing structures and the guide for maintenance interventions, where necessary. One of the techniques used in structural monitoring is the measurement of angles using clinometers Nevertheless, many issues on the reliability and the correct use of measures done with clinometers have to be addressed to achieve a trustworthy SHM. In this paper the most relevant issues related to the f.e.m. modelling of a prestressed concrete bridge deck related to the use of clinometers for SHM are presented. The study presents a test-case deck that has been under continuous monitoring for many months. A brief explanation of the data-cleaning process and the interpretation of the clinometers outputs is also given, stressing out the limitations of the technology and possible outcomes.