• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.671-684
• /
• 2011

Deciding on an optimal sensor placement (OSP) is a common problem encountered in many engineering applications and is also a critical issue in the construction and implementation of an effective structural health monitoring (SHM) system. The present study focuses with techniques for selecting optimal sensor locations in a sensor network designed to monitor the health condition of Dalian World Trade Building which is the tallest in the northeast of China. Since the number of degree-of-freedom (DOF) of the building structure is too large, multi-modes should be selected to describe the dynamic behavior of a structural system with sufficient accuracy to allow its health state to be determined effectively. However, it's difficult to accurately distinguish the translational and rotational modes for the flexible structures with closely spaced modes by the modal participation mass ratios. In this paper, a new method of the OSP that computing the mode shape matrix in the weak axis of structure by the simplified multi-DOF system was presented based on the equivalent rigidity parameter identification method. The initial sensor assignment was obtained by the QR-factorization of the structural mode shape matrix. Taking the maximum off-diagonal element of the modal assurance criterion (MAC) matrix as a target function, one more sensor was added each time until the maximum off-diagonal element of the MAC reaches the threshold. Considering the economic factors, the final plan of sensor placement was determined. The numerical example demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.