Due to bridges’ critical role in transportation networks, the assessment and maintenance of existing bridges have become a priority. Prestressed concrete bridges constitute a significant portion of Europe’s transportation network, yet many no longer meet today’s technical requirements. This is primarily due to two factors: (i) the unforeseen increase in heavy goods traffic, and (ii) insufficient experience with early reinforced and prestressed concrete construction methods, coupled with inadequate regulations, which resulted in design weaknesses and structural deficiencies. One critical failure mechanism, identified when recalculating existing bridges based on updated guidelines, is insufficient shear load-bearing capacity, which has prompted the premature demolition of numerous bridges. A thorough understanding and rigorous monitoring of shear behavior is essential since neglecting this problem could lead to notable consequences, especially for aging infrastructure. In this paper, a distributed fiber optic sensor (DFOS) based monitoring system, inspired by shear detection concepts, is tested. A decommissioned prestressed concrete bridge girder was equipped with a DFOS grid, allowing for detailed monitoring of crack width, location, and shape. Preliminary test results confirm the successful installation and early detection of cracks, highlighting the system’s potential to identify microcrack formation, monitor crack growth, and support maintenance strategies.
Lila et al. (Sat,) studied this question.