TY - JOUR A1 - Wedel, F. A1 - Pitters, S. A1 - Herrmann, Ralf A1 - Schneider, Ronald A1 - Hille, Falk A1 - Hindersmann, I. T1 - Guideline for the strategic application of monitoring of road bridges in Germany N2 - Engineering structures are an important part of our transport infrastructure. Their failure is associated with high safety risks and economic damage. Ensuring the availability of these constructions and guaranteeing their operational safety are thus important tasks. Currently, maintenance of engineering structures is a reactive process and therefore not yet a predictive process. Every 3 to 6 years, the structures are visually inspected, all damages are documented and a condition grade is assigned to the structure based on the detected damages. Continuous data-providing methods such as monitoring are used only very occasionally. With the help of monitoring, condition data about the structures are continuously collected, which can be used for a better assessment of the structures. On the one hand, this would increase safety of engineering structures, and on the other hand, it makes the shift towards predictive maintenance management based on real-time data and predictions, where the onset of damage is detected before it occurs, possible in the first place. Monitoring plays therefore an important role in the management of the infrastructure. It is a crucial a step towards the digitalisation of our infrastructure and existing processes. Although there are many use cases for monitoring that have already been successfully implemented, monitoring is not yet widely used by German road authorities due to several challenges that were also identified within the scope of the project. Therefore, a guide has been developed in which the current obstacles related to monitoring are identified and possibilities for integrating monitoring into existing processes are offered. To ensure optimal alignment with the needs of road authorities, both an online survey and a workshop have been conducted. The results are summarised in a brochure that is made available to authorities to improve the use of monitoring in Germany. This paper presents the guideline and the brochure. T2 - 10th European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring (EWSHM 2024) CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 10.06.2024 KW - Verkehrsinfrastrukturen KW - Engineering Structures KW - Bridges KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Guideline PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-612821 UR - https://www.ndt.net/search/docs.php3?id=29582 DO - https://doi.org/10.58286/29582 SN - 1435-4934 VL - 29 IS - 7 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - NDT.net GmbH & Co. KG CY - Mayen AN - OPUS4-61282 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schneider, Ronald T1 - A risk-based framework for optimizing inspection and maintenance of deteriorating structures monitored by vibration-based monitoring systems N2 - In this presentation, a framework for integrating vibration-based structural health monitoring data into the optimization of inspection and maintenance of deteriorating structural systems is presented. The framework is demonstrated in an illustrative example considering a steel frame subject to fatigue. T2 - EERA JP Wind WORKSHOP on Ongoing research in offshore wind structures CY - Online meeting DA - 16.09.2021 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Inspection KW - Maintenance KW - Deterioration KW - Vibration KW - Structural Systems PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53749 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ratkovac, Mirjana T1 - Perspectives on Wind and Wave Load Reconstruction from SHM Data for Offshore Wind Turbines N2 - As many wind turbines approach the end of their design lifetime, from a technical point of view, comprehensive fatigue analysis of all critical parts is necessary to decide what comes after – continued operation, repowering, or decommissioning. Typically, it is a two-stage evaluation process consisting of a physical inspection of the structure and an analytical part to compare the design and actually experienced loading conditions. Structural health monitoring helps to reduce the uncertainties in the estimations by providing insight into deviations between the designed and the built structure. Furthermore, it allows the evaluation of the consumed fatigue lifetime by analyzing the strain measurements that mirror the actual structural response to experienced environmental and operational conditions. However, the measurement values are limited to a sparse number of instrumented spots on the structure, and further extrapolation to the non-instrumented (critical) sections is required to perform a complete fatigue assessment. One known approach is the external force reconstruction, which has only scarcely been considered for application in offshore wind turbines. In order to extend the previously developed thrust force reconstruction framework, this work discusses the possibilities and challenges of wind and wave loading reconstruction in offshore wind turbine support structures. T2 - 4th International Conference on Health Monitoring of Civil & Maritime Structures (HeaMES 2023) CY - Online meeting DA - 12.06.2023 KW - Wind turbines KW - Force reconstruction KW - Structural Health Monitoring PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57687 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramasetti, Eshwar Kumar A1 - Herrmann, Ralf A1 - Degener, Sebastian A1 - Baeßler, Matthias T1 - Development of generic AI models to predict the movement of vehicles on bridges N2 - For civil, mechanical, and aerospace structures to extend operation times and to remain in service, structural health monitoring (SHM) is vital. SHM is a method to examining and monitoring the dynamic behavior of essential constructions. Because of its versatility in detecting unfavorable structural changes and enhancing structural dependability and life cycle management, it has been extensively used in many engineering domains, especially in civil bridges. Due to the recent technical developments in sensors, high-speed internet, and cloud computing, data-driven approaches to structural health monitoring are gaining appeal. Since artificial intelligence (AI), especially in SHM, was introduced into civil engineering, these modern and promising methods have attracted significant research attention. In this work, a large dataset of acceleration time series using digital sensors was collected by installing a structural health monitoring (SHM) system on Nibelungen Bridge located in Worms, Germany. In this paper, a deep learning model is developed for accurate classification of different types of vehicle movement on the bridge from the data obtained from accelerometers. The neural network is trained with key features extracted from the acceleration dataset and classification accuracy of 98 % was achieved. KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Artifical Intelligence KW - Machine Learning KW - Nibelungen Bridge PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-620289 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostr.2024.09.307 VL - 64 SP - 557 EP - 564 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-62028 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Lehmann, Frank A. A1 - Hille, Falk A1 - Glisic, Branco ED - Lienhart, Werner ED - Krüger, Markus T1 - Global Perspectives on Structural Monitoring in Civil Engineering N2 - Structural Monitoring (SM) is crucial in civil engineering for ensuring the safety, functionality, and longevity of civil infrastructure, especially bridges. As its importance grows, SM practices are guided mainly by national standards, leading to fragmented approaches and limited global integration. This paper examines SM guidelines, focusing on contributions from Germany, while exploring the broader international framework. In Germany, key guidelines such as the DGZfP Merkblatt B09 and others offer structured methods and practice examples for long-term monitoring and performance assessment. Internationally, countries have developed their own SM frameworks. Amongst others, Austria’s RVS Richtlinie 13.03.01, France’s COFREND Livre Blanc, Canada’s ISIS Guidelines, the ACI Report 444.2-21 from the USA, the TRB Circular E-C246 and the CIRIA Guideline from the UK contribute to a global understanding of SM. These guidelines address common technical, theoretical, and economic challenges across regions. This paper highlights the need for international collaboration, identifying synergies and gaps to promote a unified approach to SM. It offers insights into global standards and how successful strategies can foster innovation and cohesion in SM practices worldwide. T2 - 13th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure CY - Graz, Austria DA - 01.09.2025 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - bridge structures KW - guidelines PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643859 DO - https://doi.org/10.3217/978-3-99161-057-1-063 SP - 411 EP - 419 PB - Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz AN - OPUS4-64385 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hille, Falk A1 - Wedel, Frederik A1 - Lehmann, Frank A. A1 - Pirskawetz, Stephan ED - Lienhart, Werner ED - Krüger, Markus T1 - Structural health monitoring guidelines for bridges in Germany N2 - With the advancement of digitalization and related technological developments, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has become a useful and increasingly widespread tool to assist in the maintenance management of bridges and other engineering structures. The process of implementing monitoring requires expertise in many fields such as civil engineering, bridge operation and maintenance, monitoring technology, and data analysis. In recent years, monitoring has moved from method and technology development to standard practice. However, the implementation of monitoring as a standardized process can be an obstacle, especially for bridge operators, due to a lack of practical experience combined with the various expertise required. This can affect several areas, such as determining the cost-effectiveness of a monitoring measure, proper tendering and contracting, quality control, analysis and evaluation of measurement data, and last but not least, data management. In order to support the introduction of monitoring technologies into the practice of infrastructure operators, several guidelines have been developed in Germany in recent years by different interest groups, each with a different focus and essentially complementing each other. This paper aims to provide an overview of four different recently published guidelines and to highlight their strengths and advantages. T2 - 13th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure CY - Graz, Austria DA - 01.09.2025 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Bridge structures KW - Guidelines PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643809 DO - https://doi.org/10.3217/978-3-99161-057-1-064 SP - 420 EP - 427 PB - Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz AN - OPUS4-64380 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hille, Falk T1 - Structural health monitoring guidelines for bridges in Germany N2 - With the advancement of digitalization and related technological developments, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has become a useful and increasingly widespread tool to assist in the maintenance management of bridges and other engineering structures. The process of implementing monitoring requires expertise in many fields such as civil engineering, bridge operation and maintenance, monitoring technology, and data analysis. In recent years, monitoring has moved from method and technology development to standard practice. However, the implementation of monitoring as a standardized process can be an obstacle, especially for bridge operators, due to a lack of practical experience combined with the various expertise required. This can affect several areas, such as determining the cost-effectiveness of a monitoring measure, proper tendering and contracting, quality control, analysis and evaluation of measurement data, and last but not least, data management. In order to support the introduction of monitoring technologies into the practice of infrastructure operators, several guidelines have been developed in Germany in recent years by different interest groups, each with a different focus and essentially complementing each other. This paper aims to provide an overview of four different recently published guidelines and to highlight their strengths and advantages. T2 - 13th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure CY - Graz, Austria DA - 01.09.2025 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Bridge structures KW - Guidelines PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64384 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Herrmann, Ralf A1 - Hille, Falk A1 - Said, Samir A1 - Sterthaus, Jens A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Paffenholz, J.-A. A1 - Baeßler, Matthias ED - Papadrakakis, M. ED - Fragiadakis, M. ED - Papadimitriou, C. T1 - Implementing a Structural Health Monitoring system using digital models of the BAM large drop test facility in Horstwalde N2 - At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) full scale specimens for nuclear transport and storage containers (casks) are tested for their structural integrity in a series of drop tests on the Test Site Technical Safety in Horstwalde, 50 km south of Berlin. These drop tests cause a major stress not only on the casks, but also on the steel tower structure of the test facility, itself. The load pattern makes the structure very interesting for detailed investigation. The focus of the monitoring lies on the bolted joints of the flange connections that are a typical connection for cylindrical elements if welding is technical or economical unfavorable. The definition of the monitoring takes was done by investigating the existing documents and inspection results accompanied by building an initial digital representation of the structure, consisting of two finite element (FE) models and a geometrical 3D point cloud representation. As a first step the structures behavior during static and dynamic loading was analyzed using measurement data and an updated numerical FE Model. The idea behind is to use models for a digital planning and operation/evaluation of the structural health monitoring. A static FE simulation and a dynamic FE simulation are generated, to investigate how the structure behaves under the load conditions. T2 - XI International Conference on Structural Dynamics (EuroDyn 2020) CY - Online meeting DA - 23.11.2020 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Drop Tests KW - System Identification KW - Digital Models KW - BIM PY - 2020 UR - https://generalconferencefiles.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/eurodyn_2020_ebook_procedings_vol1.pdf SN - 978-618-85072-0-3 VL - 1 SP - 1293 EP - 1304 PB - Institute of Structural Analysis and Antiseismic Research CY - Athen AN - OPUS4-51592 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Herrmann, Ralf T1 - Implementing a Structural Health Monitoring System using Digital Models of the BAM Large Drop Test Facility N2 - At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) full scale specimens for nuclear transport and storage containers (casks) are tested for their structural integrity in a series of drop tests on the Test Site Technical Safety in Horstwalde, 50 km south of Berlin. These drop tests cause a major stress not only on the casks, but also on the steel tower structure of the test facility, itself. The load pattern makes the structure very interesting for detailed investigation. The focus of the monitoring lies on the bolted joints of the flange connections that are a typical connection for cylindrical elements if welding is technical or economical unfavorable. The definition of the monitoring takes was done by investigating the existing documents and inspection results accompanied by building an initial digital representation of the structure, consisting of two finite element (FE) models and a geometrical 3D point cloud representation. As a first step the structures behavior during static and dynamic loading was analyzed using measurement data and an updated numerical FE Model. The idea behind is to use models for a digital planning and operation/evaluation of the structural health monitoring. A static FE simulation and a dynamic FE simulation are generated, to investigate how the structure behaves under the load conditions. T2 - XI International Conference on Structural Dynamics (EuroDyn 2020) CY - Online meeting DA - 23.11.2020 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - System Identification KW - Digital Twin KW - Point Cloud KW - Drop Test PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51734 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gerards-Wünsche, Paul T1 - A framework for assessing the reliability of crack luminescence – an automated fatigue crack detection system N2 - The new crack luminescence method offers the possibility of making fatigue surface cracks in metallic materials more visible during inspections through a special coating system. This coating system consists of two layers, whereby the first layer has fluorescent properties and emits visible light as soon as it is irradiated by UV light. The top layer is black and is designed to prevent the fluorescent layer from emitting if no crack develops in the underlying material. The technique proved particularly useful in a wide variety of fatigue tests of steel components under laboratory conditions. Moreover, it has the potential to be used in various industrial applications. To enable industrial deployment and integration into maintenance strategies, a concept study is developed in this contribution, resulting in a qualification framework that can serve as a foundation for determining the reliability of the crack luminescence system in terms of a probability of detection curve. Within this study, factors causing measurement variability and uncertainty are being determined and their influences assessed. Due to the extension of the system by a moving computer vision system for automated crack detection using artificial intelligence, additional long-term effects associated with structural health monitoring systems need to be incorporated into an extended probability of detection study as part of the technical justification. Finally, important aspects and findings related to design of experiments are discussed, and a framework for reliability assessment of a new optical crack monitoring method is presented, emphasizing the influence of various uncertainty parameters, including long-term effects such as system ageing. T2 - SPIE Conference Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation 2023 CY - Long Beach, CA, USA DA - 24.03.2023 KW - Structural Health Monitoring KW - Non-Destructive Evaluation KW - Probability of Detection KW - Reliability KW - Artificial Intelligence KW - Computer Vision KW - Crack Luminescence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57245 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -