Full-scale measurements of dynamic response of suspension bridge subjected to environmental loads using GPS technology

Nowadays, there are many larger and taller engineering structures than in the past. These structures are commonly designed to be more flexible. Thus, they are sensitive to severe wind gust and earthquake tremor. For the dynamic response prediction, finite element (FE) modal updating and structural health monitoring, the dynamic characteristics of a structure are becoming increasingly important. The aim of this paper is to show an emerging tool-the real time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS), which is used to measure and monitor the low-frequency vibration of Dalian BeiDa Bridge, a medium span suspension bridge. The modal analysis is firstly performed on the developed three-dimensional FE model according to the original blue prints of the bridge to provide the analytical frequencies and mode shapes. The field ambient vibration tests using the accelerometers on the bridge deck are conducted just prior to the use of the GPS system in order to validate the FE model. And then, the calibration test is done to assess the dynamic displacement measurement accuracy of the GPS in three orthogonal directions. The GPS signal properties, such as the amplitude, standard deviations (STD), power spectral density (PSD), and probability density functions (PDF), are studied in details. After that, a structural health monitoring system based on the GPS is devised and installed on the bridge to provide real-time measurement of deck movement. The output-only modal parameter identification is carried out by using the Periodogram method to investigate the responses of the bridge. The result shows that the spectral densities of the displacements measured by the GPS correspond well with the results by the FEM analysis and the accelerometer vibration test. It is concluded that the GPS method is reliable and useful to clarify the ambient vibration response behaviors of the flexible structures. The integration of the GPS and accelerometer methods results in a hybrid arrangement that can help to eliminate some disadvantages of the two devices used separately.