Rajahmundry Bridge

Structural Health Monitoring for Bridge No. 248 – Rajahmundry Bow String Arch Bridge (East Coast Railway - India)

Overview of the Structure:

The III-Godavari Bridge consists of PSC boxes with Bowstring arches and having 28 spans of 97.552m each. The bridge was opened for rail transport in 1997. The prestressed box is connected to the twin RCC arches by means of 12 DINA hangers. The bridge is one of the iconic constructions built across Godavari bridge on Kovvuru Rajhamundry section.

Scope of Work:

Visual inspection of bridge. Checking existing profile of superstructure i.e., Arch, Tie girder & compare with original profile. Strain in all DINA Hangers and observations of expansion/contraction during live loads at different speeds of passenger and Goods trains to assess the behavior of Hangers. Measuring existing camber, bearing moments and checking with design standards. Carrying out Ambient Vibration Test (AVT) using Tri Axial Accelerometer sensors to record the vibrations of deck, Deflections / displacements of Deck & Soffit slabs of Tie Girder at different loading conditions at different speeds and Observation of Tilt on Piers.

Objective of the Project:

The Structural health monitoring of Godavari bridge is emphasized to understand the condition of several structural members like DINA hangers, RCC arches, irregularities/distress in the Cables, calculate cable force, check the profile of members, camber measurement, check excessive moments, vibrations, loss in prestress forces etc.