Acciona Mostostal Warszawa is part of the Acciona Capital Group.

Bridge monitoring as a way to improve safety and optimize operating costs

25 November 2022

As part of the IM-SAFE project, we installed a condition monitoring system for the Gdańsk Bridge in Warsaw.

One of the bridge structures in technical condition that requires special supervision is the Gdański Bridge in Warsaw, built by Mostostal Warszawa in the 1950s. It was built on the post-war pillars of the demolished bridge. Its condition is difficult to assess due to the variety of construction materials used over the years. At the time of the commencement of the IM-SAFE project, renovation and modernization works were planned. The cooperation of Mostostal Warszawa with the Road and Bridge Research Institute (IBDiM) and consultations with the Municipal Roads Authority in Warsaw resulted in the decision to install a monitoring system on the Gdańsk Bridge. It is one of the activities of the IM-SAFE project aimed at popularizing monitoring systems and confirming their effectiveness. The use of distributed fiber optic sensor systems enables static analysis of the structure's operation at tram crossings. Currently, the system collects measurement results all the time, to which a remote platform provides continuous access. The efficiency of the system is high, and the management is very simple - the system also includes an alarm tab about exceeded permissible deformation values on the bridge.

For the construction of the monitoring system, string sensors were used, which are characterized by high accuracy, resistance to environmental conditions, including moisture, and above all, very good long-term measurement stability. The monitoring system consists of eight fiber optic sensors for optimal measurement accuracy and eight highly reliable string sensors. Continuous monitoring included measurements of deformations of selected elements of the main bridge girders. Static measurements are performed continuously with the use of point string sensors. The readings of fiber optic sensors are performed periodically.

The publication on the IM-SAFE project and the monitoring of Gdański Bridge can be read here.

The article was published in the Magazyn Mosty No. 4/2022

Fot. Juliusz Żach