System for measuring the load on a bridge when being used by a vehicle

• US 8,955,386 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Markus Petschacher
• Original Assignee: Markus Petschacher
• Inventors: Petschacher, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNLAP, JONATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/111,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 737/86, 737/88, 737/94, 738/03, 738/08, 737/90, 737/95, 737/96
• US Class Current: 73/786
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/024 using electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0008 of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0083 by measuring variation of impedance, e.g. resistance, capacitance, induction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/00 Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress

Abstract

A system measures the load on a bridge when being used by a vehicle. The system has at least one measuring module with a plurality of measuring channel units which have associated separate sensors, preferably DMS sensors, which are intended to be fitted to the bridge. The sensors transmit measurement signals, preferably by wire, to the measuring channel units which are associated with each of the sensors and derive digital measurement data from the measurement signals. The measuring module also has an associated transmission interface in order to transmit the digital measurement data to a remote evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A system for measuring a load on a bridge when being traversed by a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of measuring modules each having a plurality of measuring channel units with A/D converters;

a plurality of separate strain gauge sensors associated with said measuring modules, and provided for attaching on the bridge, said strain gauge sensors transmitting analog measurement signals in a wired manner to said measuring channel units assigned to them in each case, said measuring channel units deriving digital measurement data from the analog measurement signals by means of said A/D converters;

a POE switching module;

a local server/router;

a remote evaluation unit, the digital measurement data being transmitted from said local server/router via a radio data transmission to said remote evaluation unit; and

said measuring modules each having a respective transmission interface and connected in parallel and in a wired manner to said PoE switching module and via said PoE switching module to said local server/router, as a result of which a local network (LAN) is formed, in that said local server/router keeping said measuring modules in synchronicity.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said measuring modules each have an energy supply unit and said respective transmission interface is simultaneously set up for receiving a supply voltage for a respective one of said measuring modules, which has said energy supply unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said energy supply unit provides different voltages for digital and analog switching parts of a respective one of said measuring modules.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein individual ones of said measuring modules are combined into groups.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of a bridge supporting structure, at least one of said measuring modules is connected to said temperature sensor.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an acceleration sensor connected to at least one of said measuring modules.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising housings and each of said measuring modules is disposed in one of said housings being closed in a sealed manner.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said housings are made of metal.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a local computing device connected to each of said measuring modules for carrying out on-site calculations.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said local server/router is a wireless local area network (WLAN) server.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said local server/router has a modem for data transmission selected from the group consisting of a global system for mobile communications modem and a universal mobile telecommunications system modem.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a camera for lateral vehicle detection, including for detecting vehicle axles, and adapted for attachment on the bridge.

13. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer memory coupled to said remote evaluation unit.