Influence of monitoring duration on measured traffic action effects on road bridges

This paper analyses the influence of monitoring duration on the obtained results using two long term (2.5 years) monitoring campaigns. Two road bridges with different nature of traffic are considered: (a) a heavily loaded two-lane highway viaduct and (b) a state road viaduct with a bi-directional traffic. The deck slabs of both bridges are monitored using strain gauges installed on reinforcement bars. The daily, seasonal and year-to-year variations of measured action effects and calculated equivalent fatigue damage are discussed. The resampling method is used for simulation of possible short-term monitoring campaigns during the period considered. The Extreme Value Theory serves to answer what is the required monitoring duration for reliable results. Possible ways of considering the monitoring duration in the fatigue damage calculation are discussed.