High‐speed drive‐by monitoring: field testing with an intercity express train (ICE)

Abstract The structural condition of bridges in Germany is often affected by aging and increased traffic loads. However, retrofitting or renewing all not always feasible due to limited resources. Indirect drive‐by monitoring with sensors on passing vehicles has been explored as a cost‐effective scalable alternative direct monitoring. In this study, we propose novel High‐Speed Monitoring (HSM) method for determining natural frequencies, based accelerometers mounted train axles, developed speeds under normal operating conditions. combination Bayesian optimisation, resonance curve can be generated using only few bridge passages, from which the dominant bending frequency determined an accuracy comparable Measurements ICE‐TD passaging travelling at high up 200 km/h have shown that frequencies same measurements. Thus, study were able show accurate, scalable, but also applied without affecting operations.