Highway Traffic Monitoring using Bridge Weigh-in-Motion

Bridge Weigh-in-Motion (BWIM), as a method of indirect load monitoring, attempts to describe the load process of the traffic crossing a bridge by solving an inverse problem. The basic principle is to infer the causative action from traffic-induced measurement signals of the structural response (usually from strain gauges) with the help of reference data from defined proof loadings, often by solving an optimization problem. Within the scope of a research project in cooperation with \textit{Die Autobahn GmbH des Bundes (branch Southern Bavaria)}, BWIM is applied to a bridge structure on Federal Highway A92. As a result, an extensive and detailed traffic record is obtained, covering a measurement period of about one year. Within this context, the contribution presents basic ideas on the conceptual design of the monitoring campaign, concepts and strategies for data analysis in the scope of BWIM application, the BWIM algorithm itself, and some results and essential findings.