Bridge Inspection (Reconfigurable-Array vibrometry EvaluatioN System (RAVENS)

Active vibration monitoring of bridges has been shown to provide a basis for assessment of their current structural health status. Such data however have only been obtained in costly controlled tests with extensive preparation to protect individual surface mounted accelerometers or MEMS and their electrical cabling to the data processing parts. Advanced Systems & Technologies Inc., describes a non-contact wirelessly networked Reconfigurable-Array Vibration Evaluation System [RAVENS] designed to provide a full situational awareness of the structural status of the bridge and advanced warning of potential structural deficiency. RAVENS vibration measurements are many times more sensitive than either accelerometers or MEMS.Furthermore, RAVENS design is well suited to autonomous bridge inspection with no interruption to traffic. The primary objective of the Phase I is to demonstrate the main functional aspects of RAVENS required for rapid assessment of a bridge deck structural integrity. Phase II will validate the RAVENS ability to correlate vibration data from multiple measurement spots in order to triangulate events associated with the longitudinal and transvers vibration and to use this data to determine structural status of the bridge.