Eugene OBrien, Roughan & O’Donovan and

University College Dublin, Ireland

Peter Favai, Cestel, Slovenia (NATMEC Exhibitors)

 1. What is Bridge Weigh-in-Motion?
2. Accuracy of Bridge WIM
3. ‘BridgeMon’ project
4. Improving Bridge WIM accuracy
˃ Improving weighing algorithms.
˃ Improving axle detection.
˃ Improving temperature/velocity calibration.
˃ Improving data quality assurance.
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 » WIM can be grouped into two categories:
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˃ Pavement WIM ˃ Bridge WIM

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 » Bridge-WIM uses an existing bridge to weigh trucks.
» The idea is to measure the structural response of the
bridge while a truck crosses and use an algorithm to back-
calculate the axle weights of the truck.

1) Install Sensors Under Bridge 2) Measure response of bridge as truck crosses 3) Use response to calculate weight
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 1) Install Sensors Under Bridge

» Bridge-WIM uses an existing bridge to weigh trucks.

» The idea is to measure the structural response of the
bridge while a truck crosses and use an algorithm to back-
calculate the axle weights of the truck.

1) Install Sensors Under Bridge 2) Measure response of bridge as truck crosses 3) Use response to calculate weight
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 2) Measure response of bridge as
truck crosses
» Bridge-WIM uses an existing bridge to weigh trucks.
» The idea is to measure the structural response of the
bridge while a truck crosses and use an algorithm to back-
calculate the axle weights of the truck.

1) Install Sensors Under Bridge 2) Measure response of bridge as truck crosses 3) Use response to calculate weight
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 3) Use response to calculate axle weights

» Bridge-WIM
3) uses an existing bridge to weigh trucks.
» The idea is to measure the structural response of the
bridge while a truck crosses and use an algorithm to back-
calculate the axle weights of the truck.

1) Install Sensors Under Bridge 2) Measure response of bridge as truck crosses 3) Use response to calculate weight
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 » Bridge WIM systems are portable
˃ Allows temporary monitoring
» Everything installed underneath the bridge.
˃ No road closure necessary.
˃ Can’t be seen by truck drivers.
˃ You don’t need to dig up the pavement!
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˃ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ylsTz2DgXc
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 Bridge WIM system Pavement WIM system
can provide data can provide data

 for pavement  for bridge design/

design/assessment assessment/load
(MEPP) control
 for economic studies
 » Accuracy of WIM systems classified using COST 323
specification.
˃ Accuracy is benchmarked against static weighing
» There are seven accuracy classes:
Accuracy Class

Accurate
A(5)

Most
B+(7)
A(5) means that B(10)
95% of gross C(15)
weights have D+(20)
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Accurate
accuracy of 5%

Least
D(25)
E
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 » Varies a lot between sites, etc.
» We need independent tests to compare the
technologies
» But these are hard to find…
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» Cold Environment Test in Luleå , Sweden
» Major European test of alternative WIM systems
» Cold Environment Test in Luleå , Sweden
» Major European test of alternative WIM systems
 40 Bridge WIM 1
DuWIM

E SiWIM
Bridge WIM 2
30
Two piezoquartz
D(25)
20 Piezoceramic
D(20)
C(15) Bending Plate
B(10) 10
Bending Beam
B+(7)
(prototype)
A(5)
0
 » BridgeMon is an EU funded project from the “Research for
the Benefit of SMEs” scheme.
» BridgeMon aims to improve the accuracy of current Bridge
WIM technologies.
˃ Aims to increase accuracy by at least one accuracy class for a
given installation.
˃ Ultimate goal is to consistently achieve class A(5) accuracy.
» BridgeMon is exploring:
˃ Alternative weighing algorithms ˃ Data quality assurance
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˃ Alternative axle-detection ˃ Temperature/velocity auto-

strategies calibration
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 » Computer simulations along with testing in the
field (using 3 bridges in Slovenia) to assess the
accuracy of various Bridge WIM approaches.
1. Box Culvert,
Slovenia
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 » Computer simulations along with testing in the
field (using 3 bridges in Slovenia) to assess the
accuracy of various Bridge WIM approaches.
2. Girder Bridge,
Slovenia
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 » Computer simulations along with testing in the
field (using 3 bridges in Slovenia) to assess the
accuracy of various Bridge WIM approaches.
3. Concrete Bridge,
Slovenia
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 » Conventional Bridge WIM assumes axles are static
» New approach takes bridge vibrations into account
˃ Improves accuracy when the bridge is very flexible
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 » Measured response of box culvert bridge was shown to
change with temperature.
» Weight predictions affected by temperature change.
» Calibration curve used to correct the effects of
temperature.
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 » The measured structural response changes for
vehicles travelling at different speeds (dynamic
effect)
» This changing response can affect the Bridge WIM
predicted weights.
» Correction factor applied based on speed of vehicle
˃ Alternative to a full dynamic approach
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 » Bridge WIM uses strategically positioned sensors under the
bridge to detect axles
˃ Needed for classification and for the Bridge WIM calculation
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 » BridgeMon will improve axle detection using:
˃ Better axle-detecting locations for some bridge types
˃ Advanced signal analysis (Wavelets) to accentuate peaks in the signal
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 » Do these axle weights/spacings look reasonable?
» Have we seen anything like this vehicle before?
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Eg: Axle spacings
10 in a 3-axle truck
Axle Spacing 2 (m)

4
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0 2 4 6 8 10 12
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Axle Spacing 1 (m)
 » We use Kernel Densities to fit a distribution
» Hence the probability of any configuration
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Probability of Configuration
» A confidence
10 index is assigned
Axle Spacing 2 (m)

8 to each vehicle
6 based on its
4
probability
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2
Suspicious
0
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0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Axle Spacing 1 (m)
 » Testing the methods outlined in this presentation, and
using those which provided the best results has led to a big
improvement in Bridge WIM accuracy
Gross weight error (%)

Mean 0.2%
Std 4.4% Mean 2.6%
Std 8.1%
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 » Bridge WIM requires no installation on the road surface –
no need to dig up the pavement
» Until now, accuracy was similar to other pavement-based
WIM technologies
» Through this European research project, we have halved
the standard deviation of inaccuracies
» And have improved Quality Assurance
» Hence developing the next generation of Bridge WIM
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 Bridgemon project (Project No. 315629) is financed from the Research for
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the Benefit of SMEs scheme of the FP7 of the European Commission

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