Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring
Elastomeric bearings are widely used in bridges to support the superstructure, to transfer loads to substructures, and to accommodate movements induced by, for example, temperature changes. Bearing mechanical properties affect the bridge’s performance and its response to permanent and variable loadi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/6/3150 |
| _version_ | 1797609061047336960 |
|---|---|
| author | Alessandra Orfeo Enrico Tubaldi Jack McAlorum Marcus Perry Hamid Ahmadi Hazel McDonald |
| author_facet | Alessandra Orfeo Enrico Tubaldi Jack McAlorum Marcus Perry Hamid Ahmadi Hazel McDonald |
| author_sort | Alessandra Orfeo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Elastomeric bearings are widely used in bridges to support the superstructure, to transfer loads to substructures, and to accommodate movements induced by, for example, temperature changes. Bearing mechanical properties affect the bridge’s performance and its response to permanent and variable loadings (e.g., traffic). This paper describes the research carried out at Strathclyde towards the development of smart elastomeric bearings that can be used as a low−cost sensing technology for bridge and/or weigh−in−motion monitoring. An experimental campaign was performed, under laboratory conditions, on various natural rubber (NR) specimens enhanced with different conductive fillers. Each specimen was characterized under loading conditions that replicated in−situ bearings to determine their mechanical and piezoresistive properties. Relatively simple models can be used to describe the relationship between rubber bearing resistivity and deformation changes. Gauge factors (<i>GF</i>s) in the range between 2 and 11 are obtained, depending on the compound and the applied loading. Experiments were also carried out to show that the developed model can be used to predict the state of deformation of the bearings under random loadings of different amplitudes that are characteristic of the passage of traffic over a bridge. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:56:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b75ba06d8ff4cc49e20c21fbc83b276 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:56:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b75ba06d8ff4cc49e20c21fbc83b2762023-11-17T13:46:40ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-03-01236315010.3390/s23063150Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing MonitoringAlessandra Orfeo0Enrico Tubaldi1Jack McAlorum2Marcus Perry3Hamid Ahmadi4Hazel McDonald5Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde; Glasgow G1 1XQ, UKDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde; Glasgow G1 1XQ, UKDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde; Glasgow G1 1XQ, UKDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde; Glasgow G1 1XQ, UKTun Abdul Razak Research Centre-TARRC, Hertford SG13 8NL, UKTransport Scotland, Glasgow G4 0HF, UKElastomeric bearings are widely used in bridges to support the superstructure, to transfer loads to substructures, and to accommodate movements induced by, for example, temperature changes. Bearing mechanical properties affect the bridge’s performance and its response to permanent and variable loadings (e.g., traffic). This paper describes the research carried out at Strathclyde towards the development of smart elastomeric bearings that can be used as a low−cost sensing technology for bridge and/or weigh−in−motion monitoring. An experimental campaign was performed, under laboratory conditions, on various natural rubber (NR) specimens enhanced with different conductive fillers. Each specimen was characterized under loading conditions that replicated in−situ bearings to determine their mechanical and piezoresistive properties. Relatively simple models can be used to describe the relationship between rubber bearing resistivity and deformation changes. Gauge factors (<i>GF</i>s) in the range between 2 and 11 are obtained, depending on the compound and the applied loading. Experiments were also carried out to show that the developed model can be used to predict the state of deformation of the bearings under random loadings of different amplitudes that are characteristic of the passage of traffic over a bridge.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/6/3150rubbercarbon blackPrintexsmart bearingresistivity |
| spellingShingle | Alessandra Orfeo Enrico Tubaldi Jack McAlorum Marcus Perry Hamid Ahmadi Hazel McDonald Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring Sensors rubber carbon black Printex smart bearing resistivity |
| title | Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring |
| title_full | Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring |
| title_short | Self-Sensing Rubber for Bridge Bearing Monitoring |
| title_sort | self sensing rubber for bridge bearing monitoring |
| topic | rubber carbon black Printex smart bearing resistivity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/6/3150 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alessandraorfeo selfsensingrubberforbridgebearingmonitoring AT enricotubaldi selfsensingrubberforbridgebearingmonitoring AT jackmcalorum selfsensingrubberforbridgebearingmonitoring AT marcusperry selfsensingrubberforbridgebearingmonitoring AT hamidahmadi selfsensingrubberforbridgebearingmonitoring AT hazelmcdonald selfsensingrubberforbridgebearingmonitoring |