Fibre-optic strain sensor system with temperature compensation for arch bridge condition monitoring

This paper presents an innovative sensor system, created specifically for new civil engineering structural monitoring applications, allowing specially packaged fiber grating-based sensors to be used in harsh, in-the-field measurement conditions for accurate strain measurement with full temperature compensation. The sensor consists of two fiber Bragg gratings that are protected within a polypropylene package, with one of the fiber gratings isolated from the influence of strain and thus responding only to temperature variations, while the other is sensitive to both strain and temperature. To achieve this, the temperature-monitoring fiber grating is slightly bent and enclosed in a metal envelope to isolate it effectively from the strain. Through an appropriate calibration process, both the strain and temperature coefficients of each individual grating component when incorporated in the sensor system can be thus obtained. By using these calibrated coefficients in the operation of the sensor, both strain and temperature can be accurately determined. The specific application for which these sensors have been designed is seen when installed on an innovative small-scale flexi-arch bridge where they are used for real-time strain measurements during the critical installation stage (lifting) and loading. These sensors have demonstrated enhanced resilience when embedded in or surface-mounted on such concrete structures, providing accurate and consistent strain measurements not only during installation but subsequently during use. This offers an inexpensive and highly effective monitoring system tailored for the new, rapid method of the installation of small-scale bridges for a variety of civil engineering applications.

Numerical simulation of a patent technology for sealing of deep-sea oil wells using nonlinear finite element method

For over 50 years bridge plugs and cement have been used for well abandonment and work over and are still the material of choice. However the failures of cement abandonments using bridge plugs has been reported on many occasions, some of which have resulted in fatal consequences. A new patented product is designed to address the shortcomings associated with using bridge plugs and cement. The new developed tools use an alloy based on bismuth that is melted in situ using Thermite reaction. The tool uses the expansion properties of bismuth to seal the well. Testing the new technology in real field under more than 2 km deep sea water can be expensive. Virtual simulation of the new device under simulated thermal and mechanical environment can be achieved using nonlinear finite element method to validate the product and reduce cost. Experimental testing in the lab is performed to measure heat generated due to thermite reaction. Then, a sequential thermal mechanical explicit/implicit finite element solver is used to simulate the device under both testing lab and deep water conditions.

The agonism and synergistic potentiation of weak partial agonists by triethylamine in alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor activation: Evidence for a salt bridge as the initiating process

alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor (AR) activation is thought to be initiated by disruption of a constraining interhelical salt bridge (Porter et al., 1996). Disruption of this salt bridge is achieved through a competition for the aspartic acid residue in transmembrane domain three by the protonated amine of the endogenous ligand norepinephrine and a lysine residue in transmembrane domain seven. To further test this hypothesis, we investigated the possibility that a simple amine could mimic an important functional group of the endogenous ligand and break this alpha(1)-AR ionic constraint leading to agonism. Triethylamine (TEA) was able to generate concentration-dependent increases of soluble inositol phosphates in COS-1 cells transiently transfected with the hamster alpha(1b)-AR and in Rat-1 fibroblasts stably transfected with the human alpha(1a)-AR subtype. TEA was also able to synergistically potentiate the second messenger production by weak partial alpha(1)-AR agonists and this effect was fully inhibited by the alpha(1)-AR antagonist prazosin. However, this synergistic potentiation was not observed for full alpha(1)-AR agonists. Instead, TEA caused a parallel rightward shift of the dose-response curve, consistent with the properties of competitive antagonism. TEA specifically bound to a single population of alpha(1)-ARs with a K-i of 28.7 +/- 4.7 mM. In addition, the site of binding by TEA to the alpha(1)-AR is at the conserved aspartic acid residue in transmembrane domain three, which is part of the constraining salt bridge. These results indicate a direct interaction of TEA in the receptor agonist binding pocket that leads to a disruption of the constraining salt bridge, thereby initiating alpha(1)-AR activation.

Electrical Based Sensors and Remote Monitoring System for Assessing the Corrosion Related Activity in Concrete at Hangzhou Bay Bridge

Concrete structures in marine environments are subjected to cyclic wetting and drying, corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride ingress and biological deterioration. In order to assess the quality of concrete and predict the corrosion activity of reinforcing steel in concrete in this environment, it is essential to monitor the concrete continuously right from the construction phase to the end of service life of the structure. In this paper a novel combination of sensor techniques which are integrated in a sensor probe is used to monitor the quality of cover concrete and corrosion of the reinforcement. The integrated sensor probe was embedded in different concrete samples exposed to an aggressive marine environment at the Hangzhou Bay Bridge in China. The sensor probes were connected to a monitoring station, which enabled the access and control of the data remotely from Belfast, UK. The initial data obtained from the monitoring station reflected the early age properties of the concretes and distinct variations in these properties were observed with different concrete types.

A wavelet-based damage detection algorithm based on bridge acceleration response to a vehicle

Previous research based on theoretical simulations has shown the potential of the wavelet transform to detect damage in a beam by analysing the time-deflection response due to a constant moving load. However, its application to identify damage from the response of a bridge to a vehicle raises a number of questions. Firstly, it may be difficult to record the difference in the deflection signal between a healthy and a slightly damaged structure to the required level of accuracy and high scanning frequencies in the field. Secondly, the bridge is going to have a road profile and it will be loaded by a sprung vehicle and time-varying forces rather than a constant load. Therefore, an algorithm based on a plot of wavelet coefficients versus time to detect damage (a singularity in the plot) appears to be very sensitive to noise. This paper addresses these questions by: (a) using the acceleration signal, instead of the deflection signal, (b) employing a vehicle-bridge finite element interaction model, and (c) developing a novel wavelet-based approach using wavelet energy content at each bridge section which proves to be more sensitive to damage than a wavelet coefficient line plot at a given scale as employed by others.

An Integrated Sensing System for Monitoring the Corrosion Activity in Concrete Blocks Exposed at Hangzhou Bay Bridge

This paper discusses the importance of integrated sensing systems comprising techniques that give different types of data from a structure exposed to the marine environment so that its service life could reliably be predicted. For this purpose, a novel sensor combination was designed and installed in concrete panels which were exposed to Hangzhou Bay Bridge in China. The integrated sensor probe was used to monitor the cover concrete as well as the reinforcement. The sensor probes were connected to a monitoring station, which enabled access and control of the data remotely from Belfast, UK. The initial data obtained from the monitoring station gives interesting information on the early age properties of concrete and distinct variations in these properties with different types of concrete. This paper also reports the variation in electrical properties of different concrete samples and environmental data in response to the marine exposure condition at Hangzhou bay bridge.