Finite Element Model Updating of Steel Bridge Structure Using Vibration-Based Structural Health Monitoring System: A Case Study of Railway Steel Arch Bridge in Poland

The study presents the finite element (FE) model updating of steel hangers in the existing railway steel arch bridge based on vibration signals from the long-term vibration-based structural health monitoring (SHM) system, as well as the prediction of dynamic behavior of the structure under field dynamic responses of these steel hangers using the ANFIS model. The historical dynamic responses of 8 steel hangers on the railway arch bridge were recorded by biaxial accelerometers to analyze the natural frequencies used to modify the stiffness property and material, as well as to estimate the tension force of the hangers. FE models of hangers are developed in the ANSYS APDL software to compute the numerical natural frequencies of the vibration modes and are automatically calibrated with the experimental natural frequencies by using the genetic algorithm in the MATLAB software. The proposed study could provide useful solutions to the engineer to evaluate the health status of hangers, as well as the entire bridge structure, indicating that the vibration-based SHM alert system could be developed from the prediction ANFIS model and the final updated FE models.