Modern Bridges Maintenance Management via Structural Health Monitoring Systems

Structural Health Monitoring Systems (SHMSs) for possible use in new long span and critical bridges with emphasizing to the design issues, user safety and optimization of the maintenance process of the system are introduced. In order to achieve more convenient investment in the SHMSs it is require that a design philosophy focusing to the shape optimization of the system to be applied. This is achievable only when specific sensoring of the system with the purpose of full accessibility of the system associated with simple contact with users to be done in which, every information and alerts from each point of the structure is received, operated and processed. SHMSs are usually used as powerful and integrated tools for bridge maintenance management through updating models of the service life, maintenance programming and assignment of the repair budgets. Only with focus on the aim of this paper, i.e. maintenance optimization, it is possible to organize and economize every investment in the SHMSs with increasing in the user safety and structural maintenance performance.