Hussein, Samah (Virginia Tech), Abbas, Montasir (Virginia Tech)

Combined Structural Health and Traffic Monitoring Using Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Scheduled for presentation during the Regular Session "S07c-Smart Infrastructure and Data-Driven Sensing for Intelligent Mobility" (WE-LA-T7), Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 16:20−16:40, Coolangata 1

2025 IEEE 28th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), November 18-21, 2025, Gold Coast, Australia

This information is tentative and subject to change. Compiled on October 19, 2025

Abstract

The safety and longevity of bridge infrastructure are vital to the integrity of transportation networks. Despite advancements in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), a significant portion of bridges remain structurally deficient, necessitating innovative, real-time monitoring solutions. This research presents an integrated framework combining Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors (DOFS) with Acoustic Emission (AE) analysis to enable simultaneous structural health and traffic assessment. DOFS technology provides high-resolution, continuous strain and vibration measurements over extensive areas, offering improved durability and accuracy compared to conventional sensors. AE signal features are leveraged to classify vehicle types based on their dynamic signatures, while structural performance is evaluated by correlating measured responses with expected behavior. The approach is validated through field deployment on an operational bridge under varying traffic conditions, with data processed to identify vehicular events and detect structural anomalies. This unified sensing platform supports proactive maintenance strategies and enhances the resilience of critical bridge infrastructure.