Movement monitoring of the world’s longest walking bridge with ArduSimple

A notable application of ArduSimple RTK system in bridge monitoring was demonstrated during the stress testing of the National Association Bridge in Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary. This project, led by Professor László Dunai from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. It involved both dynamic and static testing of the longest walking bridge’s structure over two days. The process was unique not only to Hungary but also as a practical training exercise for engineering students.

The system consists of a permanent GNSS station and 10 further GNSS monitoring receivers located symmetrically at both sides of the bridge. The system is capable to measure not only the vertical, but also the horizontal deformations of the structure. The system provides coordinate solutions in every second, which are transmitted to the servers of the BME via the Internet. Thus, the smallest deformations of the bridge can be observed  from the distance of almost 300 kilometres in real time.

The testing utilized RTK systems to collect precise data on the bridge’s response under various stress conditions. The results were confirming the structure’s readiness and safety prior to its public opening. 

The GNSS sensor array was built and the adjacent software solution developed by the Department of Geodesy and Surveying of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics under the lead of Prof. Szabolcs Rózsa.

This successful deployment serves as an exemplary case study for researchers and developers in the field of civil engineering. We encourage professionals engaged in infrastructure development and monitoring to consider the potential of ArduSimple’s RTK systems.