Remote Bridge Health Monitoring for Scouring Using Cost-Efficient Sensing Technology

Details

• Creators:
  Yee, Tien ; Yang, Jidong J. ; Oguzmert, Metin ; Amirgholy, Mahyar ; Kazemian, Alan ; Sarkar, Ajoy ; Alam, Md. Shamsul ; Deng, Penghao
• Corporate Creators:
  Kennesaw State University
• Corporate Contributors:
  Georgia Department of Transportation. Office of Transportation Data ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Accelerometers Bridge Management Systems Cost Effectiveness Economic Efficiency Machine Learning Mechanical Failure Monitoring Optimization Remote Sensing Scour Sensors Structural Analysis Wireless Sensor Networks

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA-GA-25-2219
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Georgia
• Edition:
  Final Report (November 2022–November 2025)
• Corporate Publisher:
  Georgia. Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  Bridge scour is a leading cause of hydraulic-related bridge failures, yet current monitoring practices rely on periodic inspections that are insufficient during floods when scour activity accelerates. To address this gap, a low-cost (under $1,000 per unit) remote scour-monitoring system was developed and deployed on two scour critical bridges in Georgia. Each system integrates sonar depth sensors, accelerometers, wireless communication modules, and cloud-based data processing to provide continuous, real-time monitoring. The system operates in two modes. Under low-flow conditions, vibration data are analyzed with machine learning anomaly detection to establish baseline structural behavior, and under high-flow conditions, models estimate scour depths in conjunction with direct sonar measurements. A custom web interface, Scour View, was developed to visualize data, integrate GDOT’s BridgeWatch© alerts, and enable remote control of sensor modes and inspection team allocation during storm events. Field deployments during three major floods in early 2024 confirmed an inverse relationship between scour depth and bridge vibrational frequency. The system provided accurate, site-specific scour measurements, and comparisons with the Colorado State University (CSU) scour equation highlighted consistent underprediction by the empirical model. The study demonstrates the feasibility of a scalable, cost-effective scour monitoring platform that enhances bridge safety and resilience during extreme hydrologic events. Future improvements include expanded deployment, integration of velocity and camera sensors, and edge-computing solutions for fully autonomous monitoring.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  0019322
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3dd11bdf04a9d8d9e9c0d62be552a73aa0b4420c432e7284794879a3e64d0e3d1e962cb8f1d433c3e4ff4578d1283142be7470924e56c4e475f46a5304389be7
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/87977/dot_87977_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.95 MB ]