SEI has in-house strain gaging testing capability, which includes installing strain gages, data acquisition, data reduction, and analysis. The acquired testing data can be used to diagnose finite element models and/or to determine more accurate bridge ratings. SR61 Arch bridge rehabilitation design (E04397), Hamburg – PennDot using strain gages to measure stress rang cycles in approach span to estimate fatigue life.
Walt Whitman Suspension Bridge Monitoring, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (for DRPA, subconsultant of HNTB 8 Qi)
Structure health Monitoring of the links connecting the stiffening trusses to the towers in the Walt Whitman Suspension Bridge. SEI installed twenty-four (24) strain gages, eight (8) tiltmeters, and four (4) displacement gages to monitor long term behavior of the link under various temperature . The data are being collected remotely through wireless connection. The monitoring will continue for two years to determine if the pins connecting the links are frozen due to corrosion. Additionally, SEI installed sixteen (16) strain gages, four (4) accelerometers, and two noise meters to monitor vibration and noise at the finger joint for rehabilitation design study.
Commodore Barry Bridge monitoring (for DRPA, subconsultant of Pennoni)- SEI assisted to investigate the causes of cracking in some zero force truss members using strain gages and other devices.
Conrail Bridge 0.16 – South Amboy, New Jersey (for Edwards & Kelcey, Inc.)
Diagnostic load testing by strain gaging was performed on a steel I-beam concrete encased bridges over an NJ Transit track. The testing was to determine; the composite action between the steel I-beams and the concrete encasement, the distribution of live load to the I-beams, the affect of the skewed track in relation to the I-beams, and a live load impact factor.