INNOVATIVE FIBER OPTIC MONITORING OF WADI LEBAN

BRIDGE (KSA)

Jean-Baptiste Paris, Louis Elcabache and Vincent Lamour

Cementys, 9 rue Leon Blum, 91120 Palaiseau, France

Abstract
This article present fiber optic instrumentation schemes for great bridge monitoring. As examples, we
show Wadi Leban Bridge surveillance system setup: sensors, electronic or opto-electronic devices, and
communication media. Finally we deal with structural health monitoring presenting the first results of
measurements on the bridge.

Keywords: Bridge Engineering, Design, Detailing, Numerical methods, Punching, Steel fibers

1 Introduction
The Wadi Leban Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia designed by Seshadri
Srinivasan. It was built between 1993 and 1997. It is operated by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) of
Saudi Arabia.

Figure 1 : Wadi Laban Bridge (Riyadh, KSA)

The two main purposes of great bridge monitoring are:
• Setup a predictive maintenance instead of systematic inspections, and extend bridge
lifetime without major investments
• Protect bridges from environmental hazards with an alert system based on sensor
measurements
Fiber-Optic Sensors (FOS) are perfectly suited for long-term monitoring of bridges behavior.
FOS also suited for short-term monitoring of the bridges dynamic behavior under traffic load.
Thus, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Transportation (MOT) decided to monitor the main
bridge in Ryiadh with those kinds of sensors: Wadi Leban Bridge. Geotechnical Testing Center (GTC)
and CEMENTYS proceeded to the system installation in the field.
2 Monitoring system
Recent improvements in stay cable systems have enabled the design and construction of longer and
longer spans. Because these longer spans are more sensitive to loading (wind, seismic vibration,
traffic), monitoring the loading and observing the structure’s response has become an essential
condition indicator. Also several older cable-stayed structures are showing signs of damages, often
caused by wind-induced vibrations (tendon break) or corrosion. For concrete decks and piles, long
term creep can also induce large displacements and mechanical bending stresses. Inspection and
monitoring can provide confidence in structural integrity and enable early detection of potential
problems.

The main likely failures of a cable-stayed bridge are:

• Thermal expansion restraint generating unusual loads
• Loss of tension on cables (tendon break or relaxation)
• Concrete creep and cracking

The thermal expansion induces displacement on bearing. If the bridge is well designed, the bearing
can accept the thermal expansion without damage. To control this expansion, two displacement
transducer must be placed on bearing on each abutment.
A loss of tension in cable can induce a tilt of tower due to imbalance, deflection or rotation of the deck
and a new balance of force in the other cable. So to monitor force in cable, it is not necessary to put
sensors of each one. Global sensors are sufficient: tilt meter on towers, settlement sensors on each side
of the deck in the middle span and strain gauge in 4 cable anchors. The tilt meter and settlement
sensors let us to oversee the concrete creep in the towers and in the deck.
At last but not least, the south extremity of the deck is partially cracked: a crackmeter is necessary to
know the evolution of the crack (opening).

Figure 2 : Crack on the south extremity of the deck, closed to cable anchors
Cementys recommend the following monitoring configuration for the Wadi Laban Bridge:

Type of measurement Type of sensor Purpose (Structural Behavior Monitoring)

Tilt of the tower two one-directional Measurement of tendon force equilibrium
tilt meters around the tower.
Flexural creep of the tower/pile concrete
Displacement of the Two one directional Effect of Thermal dilation on bridge (to avoid
bearing at each displacement thermo-mechanical stress)
extremity transducers

Opening of the main One displacement Crack monitoring

crack at the south transducer
extremity
Deflection and two settlement Monitoring of Creep of deck concrete,
rotation of the middle sensors in the middle Presstress loss, tendon break.
span span and a reference
in a abutment
Tension in the cables four cables must be Tendon break
monitored

2.1 Selected sensors

To prevent lightning hazard and noise due to the important length of the acquisition cables,
all the sensors must be based on robust optical fiber sensing technology (Fiber Bragg
Grating).
The kinds of sensors used for bridge monitoring in Ryiadh are:
•Optical fiber pressure-cell based settlement sensors (range 10m)
•Optical fiber precision settlement sensors (range 0.5m)
• Optical fiber joint meters
•Optical fiber crack meters
•Optical fiber tiltmeters
•Optical strain gages

The places of the sensors are shown below:

2.2 Data acquisition system and network

For optical fiber monitoring, Cementys’s BraggLogger system is installed inside bridge decks. This
way, it is protected from eventually harsh environmental conditions. Optical sensors are linked to the
system with a several-kilometer-long optical fiber network previously created with a 24-fiber cable
and junction boxes.
Monitoring system have been set up during the second half of the year 2013. Wadi Laban Bridge is a
cable stayed bridge with an 800m-long main span. Its structural monitoring system has been designed
with optical fiber sensors only. However, environmental parameters are measured by an additionnal
weather station placed in the top of a pile (measuring wind speed and direction, temperature and
humidity with standard sensors).
Inside the bridge 18 optical fiber sensors were installed:
• 8 strain gages to evaluate stress variation on guy wire anchors
• 2 settlement sensors measuring deflection in the middle of the deck
• 2 tiltmeters on the top of piles
• 2 jointmeters measuring displacement between abutments and deck extremities
• 4 crackmeter for abutment crack surveillance

Since no power is provided on the bridge, dataloggers are supplied by solar panels.
 Figure 3 : Bragg sensors – Jointmeter, tiltmeter, settlement and tension sensors

3 Data acquisition
The data acquisition system is formed by:
- Data logger (low consumption <1W)
- Durable FBG measurement device (low consumption: <10W)
- Optical multiplexer
- 3G cellular router
- Battery
- Battery loader
The data logger is the electronic device that records data over time. It must be battery powered, and
equipped with a microprocessor, internal memory for data storage.
The FBG measurement device is static, high precision measurement devices for Fiber Bragg Grating
(FBG) sensors. The system can measure at least 12 FBG sensors using 1 input channels. The sampling
is done using the internal clock or can be controlled by an external trigger signal to synchronize the
measurements with other devices.
Optical multiplexer expansion units are specially designed to address medium and large sensing
networks. They can be combined with any Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) measurement unit, increasing
their acquisition capability.
These multiplexers are designed for 19’’ racks and are based on the proven MEMS technology. The
employed technology offers high reliability and very fast optomechanical switch, as well as low
insertion loss and a lifetime of billions of cycles.
3G cellular router is needed to data transfer, data logger configuration and to send alarm.
4 Data visualization

Sensor data are sent by GSM modem from dataloggers in Ryiadh to Cementys’s server in France. This
server uploads graphs and tables into a dedicated website. It allows the end-user (MOT) to check
graphically the health of bridges.

The supervision system is hosted in secure RAID servers at the MOT. This full web solution ensures
universal access from any computer connected to the Internet. Access is limited to authorized persons
and secured by password. The supervision system allows querying the datalogger and store all the data
in a database. Storage is secure thanks to synchronize two remote servers, each with multiple hard
drives installed in RAID configuration. This system therefore ensures efficient storage, reliable and
transparent to the master contractor.
Data retrieval is ergonomic and user-friendly. Access is possible via most web browsers (IE, Firefox,
Chrome, Mozilla, Safari). The workstation does not require any particular characteristic except
ethernet port. Data retrieval is done by navigating through several pages:
- Home page offering an overview of the structure with the current value from measurements of
different sensors. The value of each sensor is recorded in a color indicating the level of vigilance.
Overall level of vigilance shows the alert status of the work. If an alert threshold is exceeded, an inset
shows the inmates and the steps to take.
- Sensor pages indicating the information related to this sensor: status, measured value, time
graph, with extreme values, date of next maintenance. This page allows, if necessary, to make a work
request to the company in charge of the maintenance of the sensor. It also allows access to various
digital documents: plug sensor calibration record, report maintenance, report intervention. It is also
possible to download all the measurement history.
- Datalogger page indicating the status of the datalogger: supply voltage, state of the arrester,
internal memory, date of last maintenance, possible date of the next maintenance report intervention,
various documents.
- A configuration page for setting the main parameters: add / delete / modify user account, to alert
people, visualizing the alert threshold...
 Figure 4 : Web visualization

5 Data visualization

The first months of the monitoring show the fiability of full fiber optic monitoring for real time
control. To illustrate the fiability and accuracy of the fiber optic monitoring system some measures are
shown below.Results highlight a very stable behavior with no alert for the bridge during first months.

Figure 5 : First data from crackmeters

 Figure 6 : First data from jointmeter

Figure 7 : First data from tiltmeter

After a first period of monitoring of one year, a statistical analysis (HST) will be proceed to know the
behaviour of the bridge.