# Case Studies about Finite Element Modeling and Wireless Sensing of Three Pennsylvania Bridges

## TL;DR

This paper studies three Pennsylvania bridges using computer models and wireless sensors to assess their structural health and accuracy of predictions.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the accuracy of finite element models and wireless sensing systems for bridge monitoring.

## Key findings

- Finite element models accurately predicted bridge strains under simulated truck loads.
- Wireless sensors proved reliable, though some drift was observed over time.
- Non-critical anomalies in load redistribution were identified through model-experiment comparisons.

## Abstract

Three Pennsylvanian bridges were studied using finite element and wireless sensor technology. A detailed finite element model of each bridge was created using a commercial software in order to calculate the strains generated by a load that simulates the presence of a standard truck. Pristine and damage scenarios were simulated, and the computed strains were compared to the experimental strains measured with proprietary wireless sensors during a truck test performed by companies not involved in the study presented in this article. The comparison demonstrated the accuracy of the model and the presence of a few non-critical anomalies in terms of load redistribution. In addition, the comparison proved the reliability of the wireless sensing system installed on the bridges, although some drift was observed. The structural monitoring program for the three bridges was also evaluated by processing more than two years of data streamed to a repository.