• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2019

This paper addresses the problem of damage detection in suspension bridge hangers, with an emphasis on the modal flexibility method. It aims at evaluating the capability and the accuracy of the modal flexibility method to detect and locate single and multiple damages in suspension bridge hangers, with different level of severity and various locations. The study is conducted numerically and experimentally on a laboratory suspension bridge mock-up. First, the covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification is used to extract the modal parameters of the bridge from experimental data, using only output measurements data from ambient vibration. Then, the method is demonstrated for several damage scenarios and compared against other classical methods, such as: Coordinate Modal Assurance Criterion (COMAC), Enhanced Coordinate Modal Assurance Criterion (ECOMAC), Mode Shape Curvature (MSC) and Modal Strain Energy (MSE). The paper demonstrates the relative merits and shortcomings of these methods which play a significant role in the damage detection ofsuspension bridges.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2020

This paper proposes a model-based approach for structural damage identification and quantification. Using pseudo modal strain energy and mode shape vectors, a damage-sensitive objective function is introduced which is suitable for damage estimation and quantification in shear frames. Whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is used to solve the problem and report the optimal solution as damage detection results. To illustrate the capability of the proposed method, a numerical example of a shear frame under different damage patterns is studied in both ideal and noisy cases. Furthermore, the performance of the WOA is compared with particle swarm optimization algorithm, as one the widely-used optimization techniques. The applicability of the method is also experimentally investigated by studying a six-story shear frame tested on a shake table. Based on the obtained results, the proposed method is able to assess the health of the shear building structures with high level of accuracy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.77-91
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• 2011

A simply structural damage detection software is developed to identification damage in beams. According to linear fracture mechanics theory, the localized additional flexibility in damage vicinity can be represented by a lumped parameter element. The damaged beam is modeled by wavelet-based elements to gain the first three frequencies precisely. The first three frequencies influencing functions of damage location and depth are approximated by means of surface-fitting techniques to gain damage detection database of forward problem. Then the first three measured natural frequencies are employed as inputs to solve inverse problem and the intersection of the three frequencies contour lines predict the damage location and depth. The DLL (Dynamic Linkable Library) file of damage detection method is coded by C++ and the corresponding interface of software is coded by virtual instrument software LabVIEW. Finally, the software is tested on beams and shafts in engineering. It is shown that the presented software can be used in actual engineering structures.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.277-290
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• 2018

In this paper, wavelet finite element model (WFEM) updating technique is employed to detect sub-element damage in thin plate structures progressively. The procedure of WFEM-based detection method, which can detect sub-element damage gradually, is established. This method involves the optimization of an objective function that combines frequencies and modal assurance criteria (MAC). During the damage detection process, the scales of wavelet elements in the concerned regions are adaptively enhanced or reduced to remain compatible with the gradually identified damage scenarios, while the modal properties from the tests remains the same, i.e., no measurement point replacement or addition are needed. Numerical and experimental examples were conducted to examine the effectiveness of the proposed method. A scanning Doppler laser vibrometer system was employed to measure the plate mode shapes in the experimental study. The results indicate that the proposed method can detect structural damage with satisfactory accuracy by using minimal degrees-of-freedoms (DOFs) in the model and minimal updating parameters in optimization.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.681-697
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• 2009

Limited, noisy data in vibration testing is a hindrance to the development of structural damage detection. This paper presents a method for optimizing sensor placement and performing damage detection using finite element model updating. Sensitivity analysis of the modal flexibility matrix determines the optimal sensor locations for collecting information on structural damage. The optimal sensor locations require the instrumentation of only a limited number of degrees of freedom. Using noisy modal data from only these limited sensor locations, a method based on model updating and changes in the flexibility matrix successfully determines the location and severity of the imposed damage in numerical simulations. In addition, a steel cantilever beam experiment performed in the laboratory that considered the effects of model error and noise tested the validity of the method. The results show that the proposed approach effectively and robustly detects structural damage using limited, optimal sensor information.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.643-667
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• 2010

The classical flexibility difference method detects damage by observing the difference of conventional deflection flexibility matrices between pre- and post-damaged states of a structure. This method is not able to identify multiple damage scenarios, and its criteria to identify damage depend upon the boundary conditions of structures. The key point behind the inability and dependence is revealed in this study. A more feasible flexibility for damage detection, the Angle-between-String-and-Horizon (ASH) flexibility, is proposed. The physical meaning of the new flexibility is given, and synthesis of the new flexibility matrix by modal frequencies and translational mode shapes is formulated. The damage indicators are extracted from the difference of ASH flexibility matrices between the pre- and post-damaged structures. One feature of the ASH flexibility is that the components in the ASH flexibility matrix are associated with elements instead of Nodes or DOFs. Therefore, the damage indicators based on the ASH flexibility are mapped to structural elements directly, and thus they can pinpoint the damaged elements, which is appealing to damage detection for complex structures. In addition, the change in the ASH flexibility caused by damage is not affected by boundary conditions, which simplifies the criteria to identify damage. Moreover, the proposed method can determine relatively the damage severity. Because the proposed damage indicator of an element mainly reflects the deflection change within the element itself, which significantly reduces the influence of the damage in one element on the damage indicators of other damaged elements, the proposed method can identify multiple damage locations. The viability of the proposed approach has been demonstrated by numerical examples and experimental tests on a cantilever beam and a simply supported beam.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.1217-1244
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• 2015

In this research a theoretical and numerical study on a bridge damage detection procedure is presented based on vibration measurements collected from a set of accelerometers. This method, referred to as "Adjoint Variable Method", is a sensitivity-based finite element model updating method. The approach relies on minimizing a penalty function, which usually consists of the errors between the measured quantities and the corresponding predictions attained from the model. Moving mass is an interactive model and includes inertia effects between the model and mass. This interactive model is a time varying system and the proposed method is capable of detecting damage in this variable system. Robustness of the proposed method is illustrated by correct detection of the location and extension of predetermined single, multiple and random damages in all ranges of speed and mass ratio of moving vehicle. A comparative study on common sensitivity and the proposed method confirms its efficiency and performance improvement in sensitivity-based damage detection methods. In addition various possible sources of error, including the effects of measurement noise and initial assumption error in stability of method are also discussed.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.10 no.4_5
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• pp.443-458
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• 2012

The structural health monitoring (SHM) benchmark study on optimal sensor placement problem for the instrumented Canton Tower has been launched. It follows the success of the modal identification and model updating for the Canton Tower in the previous benchmark study, and focuses on the optimal placement of vibration sensors (accelerometers) in the interest of bettering the SHM system. In this paper, the sensor placement problem for the Canton Tower and the benchmark model for this study are first detailed. Then an information entropy based sensor placement method with the purpose of damage detection is proposed and applied to the benchmark problem. The procedure that will be implemented for structural damage detection using the data obtained from the optimal sensor placement strategy is introduced and the information on structural damage is specified. The information entropy based method is applied to measure the uncertainties throughout the damage detection process with the use of the obtained data. Accordingly, a multi-objective optimal problem in terms of sensor placement is formulated. The optimal solution is determined as the one that provides equally most informative data for all objectives, and thus the data obtained is most informative for structural damage detection. To validate the effectiveness of the optimally determined sensor placement, damage detection is performed on different damage scenarios of the benchmark model using the noise-free and noise-corrupted measured information, respectively. The results show that in comparison with the existing in-service sensor deployment on the structure, the optimally determined one is capable of further enhancing the capability of damage detection.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.3-10
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• 2018

Damage location and extent of structure could be detected by the inverse analysis on dynamic response properties such as frequencies and mode shapes. In practice the measured difference of natural frequencies represent the stiffness change reliably, however the measured mode shape is insensitive for stiffness change, but provides spatial information of damage. The damage detection index on shear building structures is formulated in this study. The damage detection index could be estimated from mode shape and srory stiffness of undamaged structure and frequency difference between undamaged and damaged structure. For the verification of the observed damage detection method, the numerical analysis of Matlab and MIDAS and shacking table test were performed. In results, the damage index of damaged story was estimated so higher than undamaged stories that indicates the damaged story apparently.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.1113-1126
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• 2015

A damage localization algorithm based on Operational Deformed Shapes and known as Interpolation Damage Detection Method, is herein applied to the finite element model of a cable stayed bridge for detecting and localizing damages in the stays and the supporting steel beams under the bridge deck. Frequency Response Functions have been calculated basing on the responses of the bridge model to low intensity seismic excitations and used to recover the Operational Deformed Shapes both in the transversal and in the vertical direction. The analyses have been carried in the undamaged configuration and repeated in several different damaged configurations. Results show that the method is able to detect the damage and its correct location, provided an accurate estimation of the Operational Deformed Shapes is available. Furthermore, the damage detection algorithm results effective also when damages coexist at the same time at several location of the cable-stayed bridge members.