Implementing bridge model updating for operation and maintenance purposes: examination based on UK practitioners’ views

There has been a vision of creating bridge digital twins as virtual simulation models of bridge assets to facilitate remote management. Bridge model updating is one digital twin technology which can enable the continuous updating of the structural model as new monitoring data is collected. This paper examines why there is currently little industry uptake of monitoring, modelling and model updating for the operation and maintenance of bridges despite over two decades of research in these fields. The study analyses the findings from a series of semi-structured industry interviews with expert bridge professionals in the U.K. and from an extensive literature survey of bridge model updating studies to examine the disconnects between research and practice and the practical issues of implementing bridge model updating. In particular, the study found that localised damage resulting in local reduction in structural stiffness, a key assumption made in the majority of research, is subject to question by practitioners as many common types of bridge damage may not induce noticeable change in structural stiffness that existing model updating techniques would identify. Key recommendations for future research are proposed to drive adoption of bridge monitoring, modelling and model updating and thus realise their industrial value.

长期以来，构建桥梁数字孪生（bridge digital twins）作为桥梁资产的虚拟仿真模型以辅助其远程管理，一直是业界的共同愿景。桥梁模型更新（bridge model updating）作为一项核心数字孪生技术，可在采集到新监测数据时实现结构模型的持续迭代更新。尽管相关领域已有二十余年的研究积累，本文仍针对当前桥梁运维场景中，监测、建模与模型更新技术的工业应用普及率极低这一现状展开剖析。本研究通过对英国（U.K.）桥梁领域专家开展的一系列半结构化行业访谈，以及针对桥梁模型更新研究的广泛文献调研，梳理相关研究成果，以此探究学术研究与工程实践之间的脱节问题，以及落地桥梁模型更新技术所面临的实际挑战。尤为关键的是，本研究发现，绝大多数现有研究均以‘局部损伤会导致结构刚度局部降低’作为核心假设，但这一假设遭到了工程实践者的广泛质疑——诸多常见的桥梁损伤类型，并不会使结构刚度产生现有模型更新技术所能识别的显著变化。本文最终提出面向未来的研究建议，以期推动桥梁监测、建模与模型更新技术的工程落地，进而实现其产业应用价值。