Statistical vibration-based damage localization for the S101 bridge, Flyover Reibersdorf, Austria

This paper is focused on the description and application of an extended version of the Interpolation Method for the damage localization where a statistical characterization of the indicator is proposed. The damage indicator is defined in terms of the probability of exceedance of a detection threshold corresponding to the accepted probability of false alarm. The verification of the accuracy of the novel indicator is carried out with reference to a real case study of a typical example of a European highway pre-stressed concrete road bridge, the S101 Flyover Reibersdorf Bridge built in Austria in the early 1960. Responses to ambient vibration have been recorded on the bridge both in the undamaged and in several different damage scenarios artificially inflicted. In the paper data recorded on the S101 have been used to check the accuracy of damage indicator for the several damage scenarios and its sensitivity to the statistic model assumed to describe the variability of the damage feature.