• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.355-373
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• 2015

An optimal sensor placement (OSP) method based on structural subsection technique (SST) and model reduction technique was proposed for modal identification of truss structures, which was conducted using genetic algorithm (GA). The constraints of GA variables were determined by SST in advance. Subsequently, according to model reduction technique, the optimal group of master degrees of freedom and the optimal objective function value were obtained using GA in a case of the given number of sensors. Correspondingly, the optimal number of sensors was determined according to optimal objective function values in cases of the different number of sensors. The proposed method was applied on a scaled jacket offshore platform to get its optimal number of sensors and the corresponding optimal sensor layout. Then modal kinetic energy and modal assurance criterion were adopted to evaluate vibration energy and mode independence property. The experiment was also conducted to verify the effectiveness of the selected optimal sensor layout. The results showed that experimental modes agreed reasonably well with numerical results. Moreover the influence of the proposed method using different optimal algorithms and model reduction technique on optimal results was also compared. The results showed that the influence was very little.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.849-855
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• 1999

Neural Networks have shown potential to become an attractive alternative to classic methods for identification and control of non-linear dynamic systems. The purpose of this paper is to present an application of neural networks, that is a neural reconstruction of the input signal of a non-linear unknown system. This basic methodology could be used for practical purpose in several engineering fields. Clearly applications of the proposed scheme can be of interest for physical systems where a complete network of sensors measuring system inputs is not available. It should also be emphasized that the application of the reconstruction scheme is of little or no interest when the analyzed system works and operates at nominal conditions. In fact, only when failures and/or system anomailes occur, leasing to performance degradation and/or shutdown, the application of this scheme is of interest. The paper presents the results of the methodology applied to unknown non-linear dynamic systems and the robustness of the scheme to white and colored system noise was evaluated.

• 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.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.413-424
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• 2009

A series of wind tunnel free-decay sectional model dynamic tests were conducted to examine the effects of torsional-to-vertical natural frequency ratio of 2DOF bridge dynamic systems on the aerodynamic and dynamic properties of bridge decks. The natural frequency ratios tested were around 2.2:1 and 1.2:1 respectively, with the fundamental vertical natural frequency of the system held constant for all the tests. Three 2.9 m long twin-deck bridge sectional models, with a zero, 16% (intermediate gap) and 35% (large gap) gap-to-width ratio, respectively, were tested to determine whether the effects of frequency ratio are dependent on bridge deck cross-section shapes. The results of wind tunnel tests suggest that for the model with a zero gap-width, a model to approximate a thin flat plate, the flutter derivatives, and consequently the aerodynamic forces, are relatively independent of the torsional-to-vertical frequency ratio for a relatively large range of reduced wind velocities, while for the models with an intermediate gap-width (around 16%) and a large gap-width (around 35%), some of the flutter derivatives, and therefore the aerodynamic forces, are evidently dependent on the frequency ratio for most of the tested reduced velocities. A comparison of the modal damping ratios also suggests that the torsional damping ratio is much more sensitive to the frequency ratio, especially for the two models with nonzero gap (16% and 35% gap-width). The test results clearly show that the effects of the frequency ratio on the flutter derivatives and the aerodynamic forces were dependent on the aerodynamic cross-section shape of the bridge deck.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.343-365
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• 2008

In this study, the frequency domain method which utilizes the evaluation of changes in the structural mode shape is adopted to identify regions which contain localized damages. Frequency response function (FRF) values corresponding to the modal frequency, analogous to the mode shape coefficients, are used since change in natural frequency of the system is usually insignificant for localized damage. This method requires only few sensors to obtain the dynamic response of the structure at specific locations to determine the FRF via fast-Fourier transform (FFT). Numerical examples of an aluminum plate, which includes damages of varying severity, locations and combinations of multiple locations, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. An experimental verification of the method is also done using an aluminum plate with two different degrees of damage, namely a half-through notch and a through notch. The inconsistency in attaining the FRF values for practical applications due to varying impact load may be overcome via statistical averaging, although large variations in the loading in terms of the contact duration should still be avoided. Nonetheless, this method needs special attention when the damages induce notable changes in the modal frequency, such as when the damages are of high severity or cover more extensive area or near the boundary where the support condition is modified. This is largely due to the significant decrease in the frequency term compared to the increase in the vibration amplitude. For practical reasons such as the use of limited number of sensors and to facilitate automation, extending the resolution of this method of identification may not be efficient. Hence, methods based on wave propagation can be employed as a complement on the isolated region to provide an accurate localization as well as to trace the geometry of the damage.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.689-697
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• 2017

Nowadays, there are a great number of various structures that have been retrofitted by using different FRP Composites. Due to this, more researches need to be conducted to know more the characteristics of these structures, not only that but also a comparison among them before and after the retrofitting is needed. In this research, a model steel structure is tested using a bench-scale earthquake simulator on the shake table, using recorded micro tremor data, in order to get the dynamic behaviors. Beams of the model steel structure are then retrofitted by using CFRP composite, and then tested on the Quanser shake table by using the recorded micro tremor data. At this stage, it is needed to evaluate the dynamic behaviors of the retrofitted model steel structure. Various types of methods of OMA, such as EFDD, SSI, etc. are used to take action in the ambient responses. Having a purpose to learn more about the effects of FRP composite, experimental model analysis of both types (retrofitted and no-retrofitted models) is conducted to evaluate their dynamic behaviors. There is a provision of ambient excitation to the shake table by using recorded micro tremor ambient vibration data on ground level. Furthermore, the Enhanced Frequency Domain decomposition is used through output-only modal identification. At the end of this study, moderate correlation is obtained between mode shapes, periods and damping ratios. The aim of this research is to show and determine the effects of CFRP Composite implementation on structural responses of the model steel structure, in terms of changing its dynamical behaviors. The frequencies for model steel structure and the retrofitted model steel structure are shown to be 34.43% in average difference. Finally, it is shown that, in order to evaluate the period and rigidity of retrofitted structures, OMA might be used.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.163-184
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• 2013

An accurate identification of the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles and the bridge is the premise for the coupled vibration analysis of a wind-vehicle-bridge system. At present, the interaction of aerodynamic forces between the road vehicles and bridge is ignored in most previous studies. In the present study, an experimental setup was developed to measure the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles and the bridge for different cases in a wind tunnel considering the aerodynamic interference. The influence of the wind turbulence, the wind speed, the vehicle interference, and the vehicle position on the aerodynamic coefficients of vehicles, and the influence of vehicles on the static coefficients of the bridge were investigated, based on the experimental results. The variations in the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles and the bridge were studied and the measured results were validated according to the results of surface pressure measurements on the vehicle and the bridge. The measured results were further validated by comparing the measured results with values derived numerically. The measured results showed that the wind turbulence, the vehicle interference, and the vehicle position significantly affected the aerodynamic coefficients of vehicles. However, the influence of the wind speed on the aerodynamic coefficients of the studied vehicle is small. The static coefficients of the bridge were also significantly influenced by the presence of vehicles.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.129-134
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• 2009

To ensure the safety and functionality of a railroad bridge, maintaining the integrity of the bridge via continuous structural health monitoring is important. However, most structural integrity monitoring methods proposed to date are based on modal responses which require the extracting process and have limited availability. In this paper, the applicability of the existing damage identification method based on free-vibration reponses to time-domain deflection shapes due to moving train load is investigated. Since the proposed method directly utilizes the time-domain responses of the structure due to the moving vehicles, the extracting process for modal responses can be avoided, and the applicability of structural health evaluation can be enhanced. The feasibility of the presented method is verified via a numerical example of a simple plate girder bridge.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.289-296
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• 2009

Natural frequency is a key parameter to determine the seismic and wind loading of tall flexible structures, and to assess the wind-induced vibration for serviceability check. In this study, natural frequencies and associated mode shapes were obtained from measured acceleration data and system identification technique. Subsequently, finite element(FE) models for a tall reinforced concrete buildings were built using a popular PC-based finite element analysis program and calibrated to match their natural frequencies and mode shapes to actual values. The calibration of the FE model included: 1) compensation of modulus of elasticity considering the mix design strength, 2) flexural stiffness of floor slabs, and 3) major non-structural components such as plain concrete walls. Natural frequencies and mode shapes from the final FE model showed best agreement with the measured values.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.361-368
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• 2014

Modal properties for tapered cantilever pipe-type beam is identified by applying the boundary conditions to a general solution for tapered beam. A bending stiffness for cracked beam is constructed based on an energy method for tapered cantilever thin-walled pipe, which has a through-the-thickness crack, subjected to bending. Then the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a tapered cantilever thin-walled cracked pipe are identified. It can be found that the phenomenon of the bending stiffness distribution along the beam length of the cracked beam is quite reasonable, the natural frequencies are decreased as the crack sizes are increased, and the mode shapes are changed due to the crack. This results may be used to the vibration-based crack identification for the tapered cantilever pipe-type tower structures.