The Brooklyn Bridge was constructed before the turn of the century and opened for use in 1883. The bridge has been a major transportation artery for New York City ever since. Recently, there are plans for significant retrofit and maintenance work in the near future. One of the aspects of the work includes repairs to the masonry arch spans in the Manhattan approach due to cracks. However, until repair work can be undertaken, it was decided to install a system of fiber optic sensors for monitoring the masonryarch structure. The monitoring system provides real time data over the internet. Crack opening, thermal fluctuations, related structural movements and vibrations are monitored by fiber optic crack sensors, accelerometers and tiltmeter sensors. In addition for safety considerations, the monitoring program is designed to provide feedback to the bridge authority on the severity of the crack opening and their cause. It is anticipated that such data will not only provide reassurance on the structural stability of the arch structure but will also provide guidance to design more economical and efficient repairs.
Abstract