Installation of data acquisition equipment in Kimbolton Butts Bridge

Kimbolton Butts Bridge is an 8m single span brickwork arch bridge which was constructed in 1992 in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire. Initial instrumentation of the structure was jointly undertaken by the University of Edinburgh in order to assess the distribution of stresses in the fill and on the extrados, and the Transport Road Laboratory who were concerned with measuring the strain in the fill, deflection of the arch barrel and temperature in the fill during the load test. Following this, the University of Edinburgh are carrying out long term monitoring of the structure in an attempt to quantify the effect of both temperature and seasonal variation on both the stresses and strains in the fill.

This paper therefore describes the strategies used in first selecting the instrumentation for long term data acquisition, use of this equipment, and finally installation in the bridge. Examples are also given of some initial results of the variation in stresses with the temperature of respectively the air, soil backfill and the arch extrados.

• 1. INTRODUCTION

• 2. INSTRUMENTATION

• 3. DATA ACQUISITION EQUIPMENT

• 4. RESULTS

• 5. CONCLUSIONS

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• REFERENCES