Monitoring Temperature Effects on Streicker Bridge Using Fiber Optic Sensors

Abstract

Streicker Bridge is a pedestrian bridge located in Princeton, New Jersey. It was constructed in 2009, and before its completion, a structural health monitoring (SHM) system was installed within the concrete deck. The SHM system is devised to carry out the monitoring of bridge response to changes in loading. This investigation focuses on the structural behavior of the bridge due to changes in thermal loading. Data collected from the past three years was used to establish a temperature profile model for the deck, enabling the analysis of the relationship between temperature changes and strain. This thesis includes the calculation of the apparent thermal expansion coefficient of Streicker Bridge during two time periods and an evaluation of the global thermal effects experienced by the structure.