Transversal Displacement Detection of an Arched Bridge with a Multimonostatic Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Radar.

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Civil Engineering
• Remote Sensing

Background:

• Interferometric radars are essential for monitoring critical civil structures like bridges.
• Ensuring bridge safety requires continuous structural health monitoring.
• Previous radar monitoring often focused on single displacement components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To monitor an arched bridge in Catanzaro, Italy, using FMCW MIMO radar.
• To investigate the utility of multimonostatic radar configurations for retrieving deck displacement components.
• To develop a method for predicting measurement uncertainty based on multimonostatic geometry.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system.
• Performed standard monostatic and advanced multimonostatic radar measurements.
• Developed a method to predict measurement uncertainty as a function of multimonostatic geometry.

Main Results:

• Multimonostatic radar measurements detected horizontal displacement four times greater than vertical displacement.
• This observed displacement ratio significantly exceeds previously reported values in the literature.
• The findings are consistent with the specific arched structure of the monitored bridge.

Conclusions:

• The study demonstrates the capability of FMCW MIMO radar for detailed bridge monitoring.
• Multimonostatic configurations are crucial for capturing multi-directional displacement components.
• Accurate structural assessment necessitates techniques capable of retrieving at least two displacement components.