• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.445-470
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• 2016

In this study, the Bayesian probabilistic framework is investigated for modal identification and modal identifiability based on the field measurements provided in the structural health monitoring benchmark problem of an instrumented cable-stayed bridge named Ting Kau Bridge (TKB). The comprehensive structural health monitoring system on the cable-stayed TKB has been operated for more than ten years and it is recognized as one of the best test-beds with readily available field measurements. The benchmark problem of the cable-stayed bridge is established to stimulate investigations on modal identifiability and the present paper addresses this benchmark problem from the Bayesian prospective. In contrast to deterministic approaches, an appealing feature of the Bayesian approach is that not only the optimal values of the modal parameters can be obtained but also the associated estimation uncertainty can be quantified in the form of probability distribution. The uncertainty quantification provides necessary information to evaluate the reliability of parametric identification results as well as modal identifiability. Herein, the Bayesian spectral density approach is conducted for output-only modal identification and the Bayesian model class selection approach is used to evaluate the significance of different modes in modal identification. Detailed analysis on the modal identification and modal identifiability based on the measurements of the bridge will be presented. Moreover, the advantages and potentials of Bayesian probabilistic framework on structural health monitoring will be discussed.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2018

The improvement in computing systems and sensor technologies devotes to conduct data-driven structural health monitoring algorithms for existing civil infrastructures. Despite of the development of techniques, the uncertainty oriented from the measurement results in the discrepancy to the actual structural parameters and let engineers or decision makers hesitate to adopt such techniques. Many studies have shown that the modal identification results can be affected by the uncertainties due to the applied methods and the types of loading. This paper aims to compare the performance of modal identification methods using Structural Modal Identification Toolsuite (SMIT) which has been developed to facilitate multiple identification methods with a user-friendly designed platform. The data fed into SMIT processes three stages for the comprehensive identification including preprocessing, eigenvalue estimation, and post-processing. The seismic and white noise response for shear frame model was obtained from numerical simulation. The identified modal parameters is compared to the actual modal parameters. In order to improve the quality of coherence in identified modal parameters, several hurdles including modal phase collinearity and extended modal amplitude coherence were introduced. Numerical simulation conducted on the 5 dof shear frame model were used to validate the effectiveness of using these parameters.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.59-82
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• 2011

In this study, an output-only modal identification approach is proposed for decentralized wireless sensor nodes used for linear structural systems. The following approaches are implemented to achieve the objective. Firstly, an output-only modal identification method is selected for decentralized wireless sensor networks. Secondly, the effect of time-unsynchronization is assessed with respect to the accuracy of modal identification analysis. Time-unsynchronized signals are analytically examined to quantify uncertainties and their corresponding errors in modal identification results. Thirdly, a modified approach using complex mode shapes is proposed to reduce the unsynchronization-induced errors in modal identification. In the new way, complex mode shapes are extracted from unsynchronized signals to deal both with modal amplitudes and with phase angles. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed approach is evaluated from numerical and experimental tests by comparing with the performance of existing approach using real mode shapes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.417-434
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• 2002

This paper explores the possibility of using a combination of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and the Hilbert transform (HT), termed the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) method, to identify the modal damping ratios of the structure with closely spaced modal frequencies. The principle of the HHT method and the procedure of using the HHT method for modal damping ratio identification are briefly introduced first. The dynamic response of a two-degrees-of-freedom (2DOF) system under an impact load is then computed for a wide range of dynamic properties from well-separated modal frequencies to very closely spaced modal frequencies. The natural frequencies and modal damping ratios identified by the HHT method are compared with the theoretical values and those identified using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method. The results show that the HHT method is superior to the FFT method in the identification of modal damping ratios of the structure with closely spaced modes of vibration. Finally, a 36-storey shear building with a 4-storey light appendage, having closely spaced modal frequencies and subjected to an ambient ground motion, is analyzed. The modal damping ratios identified by the HHT method in conjunction with the random decrement technique (RDT) are much better than those obtained by the FFT method. The HHT method performing in the frequency-time domain seems to be a promising tool for system identification of civil engineering structures.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.123-134
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• 2013

Identifying structural modal parameters, especially those modes within high frequency range, from ambient data is still a challenging problem due to various kinds of uncertainty involved in vibration measurements. A procedure applying an ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method is proposed for accurate and robust structural modal identification. In the proposed method, the EEMD process is first implemented to decompose the original ambient data to a set of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), which are zero-mean time series with energy in narrow frequency bands. Subsequently, a Sub-PolyMAX method is performed in narrow frequency bands by using IMFs as primary data for structural modal identification. The merit of the proposed method is that it performs structural identification in narrow frequency bands (take IMFs as primary data), unlike the traditional method in the whole frequency space (take original measurements as primary data), thus it produces more accurate identification results. A numerical example and a multiple-span continuous steel bridge have been investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-70
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• 2006

The paper summarizes the dynamic-based assessment of a reinforced concrete arch bridge, dating back to the 50's. The outlined approach is based on ambient vibration testing, output-only modal identification and updating of the uncertain structural parameters of a finite element model. The Peak Picking and the Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition techniques were used to extract the modal parameters from ambient vibration data and a very good agreement in both identified frequencies and mode shapes has been found between the two techniques. In the theoretical study, vibration modes were determined using a 3D Finite Element model of the bridge and the information obtained from the field tests combined with a classic system identification technique provided a linear elastic updated model, accurately fitting the modal parameters of the bridge in its present condition. Hence, the use of output-only modal identification techniques and updating procedures provided a model that could be used to evaluate the overall safety of the tested bridge under the service loads.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.81-97
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• 2015

Recently, a new output-only modal identification method based on time-frequency independent component analysis (ICA) has been developed by the authors and shown to be useful for even highly-damped structures. In many cases, it is of interest to identify the complex modes of structures with non-proportional damping. This study extends the time-frequency ICA based method to a complex ICA formulation for output-only modal identification of non-proportionally-damped structures. The connection is established between complex ICA model and the complex-valued modal expansion with sparse time-frequency representation, thereby blindly separating the measured structural responses into the complex mode matrix and complex-valued modal responses. Numerical simulation on a non-proportionally-damped system, laboratory experiment on a highly-damped three-story frame, and a real-world highly-damped base-isolated structure identification example demonstrate the capability of the time-frequency complex ICA method for identification of structures with complex modes in a straightforward and efficient manner.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.123-139
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• 2005

An automatic modal identification program is developed for continuous extraction of modal parameters of three cable-supported bridges in Hong Kong which are instrumented with a long-term monitoring system. The program employs the Complex Modal Indication Function (CMIF) algorithm for identifying modal properties from continuous ambient vibration measurements in an on-line manner. By using the LabVIEW graphical programming language, the software realizes the algorithm in Virtual Instrument (VI) style. The applicability and implementation issues of the developed software are demonstrated by using one-year measurement data acquired from 67 channels of accelerometers permanently installed on the cable-stayed Ting Kau Bridge. With the continuously identified results, variability in modal vectors due to varying environmental conditions and measurement errors is observed. Such an observation is very helpful for selection of appropriate measured modal vectors for structural health monitoring use.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 1999

A new approach to conducting the vibration parameters identification algorithm is proposed. The approach employs the concept of modal amplitude ratio implemented in a mode shape estimation. The accuracy of the improved Ibrahim Time Domain identification algorithm in extracting structural modal parameters from free response functions has been studied using computer simulated data for 9 stations on the two-span continuous beam. Simulated responses from the lumped and distributed parameter system demonstrate that this algorithm produces excellent results, even in the 300% noise response.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.10 no.4_5
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• pp.353-373
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• 2012

The instrumented Canton Tower is a 610 m high-rise structure, which has been considered as a benchmark problem for structural health monitoring (SHM) research. In this paper, an improved automatic modal identification method is presented based on a natural excitation technique in conjunction with the eigensystem realization algorithm (NExT/ERA). In the proposed modal identification method, damping ratio, consistent mode indicator from observability matrices (CMI_O) and modal amplitude coherence (MAC) are used as criteria to distinguish the physically true modes from spurious modes. Enhanced frequency domain decomposition (EFDD), the data-driven stochastic subspace identification method (SSI-DATA) and the proposed method are respectively applied to extract the modal parameters of the Canton Tower under different environmental conditions. Results of modal parameter identification based on output-only measurements are presented and discussed. User-selected parameters used in those methods are suggested and discussed. Furthermore, the effect of environmental conditions on the dynamic characteristics of Canton tower is investigated.