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Just like many other places around the World, Virginia has a lot of bridges in all shapes and forms. Most bridges in Virginia are the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). This is also the case for the Rte. 638 Integral Bridge, which is the subject of as field study conducted by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTCR). The relatively new bridge is situated in Alleghany County in Virginia and crosses over Jackson River.
The purpose of the field study is to analyze stresses and forces due to thermal effects, which corresponds perfectly with the general ongoing trends towards excessive monitoring of bridges.
DS Sensors from ElastiSense Sensor Technology are used in this field study to monitor longitudinal expansion and tilt/angel of the bridge, both in relation to shifting weather/temperature changes during a day, as well as with changing seasons. The sensors are placed on the bearings of the bridge in different angels and positions and continuously deliver data through a datalogger.
The DS sensors are just part of a bigger set-up including other sensor types and other equipment, which ultimately serves the purpose of teaching us more about the effects of different external influences on bridges.
Learn more about bridge monitoring right here or contact us if you have a bridge monitoring project and believe our sensors can make a difference to you