• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.189-206
• /
• 2011

In this study, the subspace stochastic realization theories (SSR model I and SSR model II) have been applied to a real bridge for estimating its dynamic characteristics (natural frequencies, damping constants, and vibration modes) under ambient vibration. A numerical simulation is carried out for an arch-type steel truss bridge using a white noise excitation. The estimates obtained from this simulation are compared with those obtained from the Finite Element (FE) analysis, demonstrating good agreement and clarifying the excellent performance of this method in estimating the structural dynamic characteristics. Subsequently, these methods are applied to the vibration induced by both strong and weak winds as obtained by remote monitoring of the Kabashima bridge (an arch-type steel truss bridge of length 136 m, and situated in Nagasaki city). The results obtained with this experimental data reveal that more accurate estimates are obtained when strong wind vibration data is used. In contrast, the vibration data obtained from weak wind provides accurate estimates at lower frequencies, and inaccurate accuracy for higher modes of vibration that do not get excited by the wind of lower intensity. On the basis of the identified results obtained using both simulated data and monitored data from a real bridge, it is determined that the SSR model II realizes more accurate results than the SSR model I. In general, the approach investigated in this study is found to provide acceptable estimates of the dynamic characteristics of highway bridges as well as for the vibration monitoring of bridges.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.471-489
• /
• 2016

Modal identification based on ambient vibration data has attracted extensive attention in the past few decades. Since the excitation for ambient vibration tests is mainly from the environmental effects such as wind and traffic loading and no artificial excitation is applied, the signal to noise (s/n) ratio of the data acquired plays an important role in mode identifiability. Under ambient vibration conditions, certain modes may not be identifiable due to a low s/n ratio. This paper presents a study on the mode identifiability of an instrumented cable-stayed bridge with the use of acceleration response data measured by a long-term structural health monitoring system. A recently developed fast Bayesian FFT method is utilized to perform output-only modal identification. In addition to identifying the most probable values (MPVs) of modal parameters, the associated posterior uncertainties can be obtained by this method. Likewise, the power spectral density of modal force can be identified, and thus it is possible to obtain the modal s/n ratio. This provides an efficient way to investigate the mode identifiability. Three groups of data are utilized in this study: the first one is 10 data sets including six collected under normal wind conditions and four collected during typhoons; the second one is three data sets with wind speeds of about 7.5 m/s; and the third one is some blind data. The first two groups of data are used to perform ambient modal identification and help to estimate a critical value of the s/n ratio above which the deficient mode is identifiable, while the third group of data is used to perform verification. A couple of fundamental modes are identified, including the ones in the vertical and transverse directions respectively and coupled in both directions. The uncertainty and s/n ratio of the deficient mode are investigated and discussed. A critical value of the modal s/n ratio is suggested to evaluate the mode identifiability of the deficient mode. The work presented in this paper could provide a base for the vibration-based condition assessment in future.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.221-238
• /
• 2011

The estimated response of large-scale engineering structures to severe wind loads is prone to modelling uncertainties that can only ultimately be assessed by full-scale testing. To this end ambient vibration data from full-scale monitoring of the historic Clifton Suspension Bridge has been analysed using a combination of a frequency domain system identification method and a more elaborate stochastic identification technique. There is evidence of incipient coupling action between the first vertical and torsional modes in strong winds, providing unique full-scale data and making this an interesting case study. Flutter derivative estimation, which has rarely previously been attempted on full-scale data, was performed to provide deeper insight into the bridge aerodynamic behaviour, identifying trends towards flutter at higher wind speeds. It is shown that, as for other early suspension bridges with bluff cross-sections, single-degree-of-freedom flutter could potentially occur at wind speeds somewhat below requirements for modern designs. The analysis also demonstrates the viability of system identification techniques for extracting valuable results from full-scale data.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.447-468
• /
• 2015

Modal identification of civil engineering structures based on ambient vibration measurement has been widely investigated in the past decades, and a variety of output-only operational modal identification methods have been proposed. However, vibration modes, even fundamental low-order modes, are not always identifiable for large-scale structures under ambient vibration excitation. The identifiability of vibration modes, deficiency in modal identification, and criteria to evaluate robustness of the identified modes when applying output-only modal identification techniques to ambient vibration responses were scarcely studied. In this study, the mode identifiability of the cable-stayed Ting Kau Bridge using ambient vibration measurements and the influence of the excitation intensity on the deficiency and robustness in modal identification are investigated with long-term monitoring data of acceleration responses acquired from the bridge under different excitation conditions. It is observed that a few low-order modes, including the second global mode, are not identifiable by common output-only modal identification algorithms under normal ambient excitations due to traffic and monsoon. The deficient modes can be activated and identified only when the excitation intensity attains a certain level (e.g., during strong typhoons). The reason why a few low-order modes fail to be reliably identified under weak ambient vibration excitations and the relation between the mode identifiability and the excitation intensity are addressed through comparing the frequency-domain responses under normal ambient vibration excitations and under typhoon excitations and analyzing the wind speeds corresponding to different response data samples used in modal identification. The threshold value of wind speed (generalized excitation intensity) that makes the deficient modes identifiable is determined.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.507-520
• /
• 2019

In the structural health monitoring field, damage detection has been commonly carried out based on the structural model and the engineering features related to the model. However, the extracted features are often subjected to various errors, which makes the pattern recognition for damage detection still challenging. In this study, an automated damage identification method is presented for hanger cables in a tied-arch bridge using a convolutional neural network (CNN). Raw measurement data for Fourier amplitude spectra (FAS) of acceleration responses are used without a complex data pre-processing for modal identification. A CNN is a kind of deep neural network that typically consists of convolution, pooling, and fully-connected layers. A numerical simulation study was performed for multiple damage detection in the hangers using ambient wind vibration data on the bridge deck. The results show that the current CNN using FAS data performs better under various damage states than the CNN using time-history data and the traditional neural network using FAS. Robustness of the present CNN has been proven under various observational noise levels and wind speeds.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.117-124
• /
• 2003

Wind-induced motions, like acceleration for instance, often influence designs for high-rise buildings. As a consequence, correct assessment of natural frequency becomes important. The empirical expressions used to quantify this parameter at the design phase tend to yield values that are significantly different from each other. This paper is concerned with the natural periods of steel buildings. It describes the vibration measurement methods that were employed for testing buildings. This paper will also present reliable methods of assessing the natural period from ambient vibration tests. Data from measurements on 21 buildings in Seoul were provided while 21 buildings were tested by ambient vibration measurements to obtain the natural periods. While regression formulas of natural periods for steel-frarried tall buildings were suggested,the obtained formula was compared with the empirical expressions of structural standards and the Eigen-value analysis.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.453-476
• /
• 2013

DuraMote is a remote sensing system developed for the "NIST TIP project: next generation SCADA for prevention and mitigation of water system infrastructure disaster". It is designed for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) of ruptures in water pipes. Micro-electro mechanical (MEMS) accelerometers, which record the vibration of the pipe wall, are used detect the ruptures. However, the performance of Duramote cannot be verified directly on a water distribution system because it lacks an acceptable recordable level of ambient vibration. Instead, a long-span cable-stayed bridge is an ideal test-bed to validate the accuracy, the reliability, and the robustness of DuraMote because the bridge has an acceptable level of ambient vibration. The acceleration data recorded on the bridge were used to identify the modal properties of the structure and to verify the performance of DuraMote. During the test period, the bridge was subjected to heavy rain, wind, and a typhoon but the system demonstrates its robustness and durability.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.209-230
• /
• 2016

The Canton Tower is a high-rise slender structure with a height of 610 m. A structural health monitoring system has been instrumented on the structure, by which data is continuously monitored. This paper presents an investigation on the identified modal properties of the Canton Tower using ambient vibration data collected during a whole day (24 hours). A recently developed Fast Bayesian FFT method is utilized for operational modal analysis on the basis of the measured acceleration data. The approach views modal identification as an inference problem where probability is used as a measure for the relative plausibility of outcomes given a model of the structure and measured data. Focusing on the first several modes, the modal properties of this supertall slender structure are identified on non-overlapping time windows during the whole day under normal wind speed. With the identified modal parameters and the associated posterior uncertainty, the distribution of the modal parameters in the future is predicted and assessed. By defining the modal root-mean-square value in terms of the power spectral density of modal force identified, the identified natural frequencies and damping ratios versus the vibration amplitude are investigated with the associated posterior uncertainty considered. Meanwhile, the correlations between modal parameters and temperature, modal parameters and wind speed are studied. For comparison purpose, the frequency domain decomposition (FDD) method is also utilized to identify the modal parameters. The identified results obtained by the Bayesian method, the FDD method and a finite element model are compared and discussed.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.157-178
• /
• 2013

Output-only modal parameter identification is based on the assumption that external forces on a linear structure are white noise. However, harmonic excitations are also often present in real structural vibrations. In particular, it has been realized that the use of forced acceleration responses without knowledge of external forces can pose a problem in the modal parameter identification, because an external force is imparted to its impulse acceleration response function. This paper provides a three-stage identification procedure as a solution to the problem of harmonic and white noise excitations in the acceleration responses of a linear dynamic system. This procedure combines the uses of the mode indicator function, the complex mode indication function, the enhanced frequency response function, an iterative rational fraction polynomial method and mode shape inspection for the correlation-related functions of the force-embedded acceleration responses. The procedure is verified via numerical simulation of a five-floor shear building and a two-dimensional frame and also applied to ambient vibration data of a large-span roof structure. Results show that the modal parameters of these dynamic systems can be satisfactorily identified under the requirement of wide separation between vibration modes and harmonic excitations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.21-44
• /
• 2014

The aim of this study is to determine the dynamic characteristics of long reinforced concrete highway bridges with post-tension tendons using analytical and experimental methods. It is known that the deck length and height of bridges are affected the dynamic characteristics considerably. For this purpose, Berta Bridge constructed in deep valley, in Artvin, Turkey, is selected as an application. The Bridge has two piers with height of 109.245 m and 85.193 m, and the total length of deck is 340.0 m. Analytical and experimental studies are carried out on Berta Bridge which was built in accordance with the balanced cantilever method. Finite Element Method (FEM) and Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) which considers ambient vibration data were used in analytical and experimental studies, respectively. Finite element model of the bridge is created by using SAP2000 program to obtain analytical dynamic characteristics such as the natural frequencies and mode shapes. The ambient vibration tests are performed using Operational Modal Analysis under wind and human loads. Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition (EFDD) and Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) methods are used to obtain experimental dynamic characteristics like natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios. At the end of the study, analytical and experimental dynamic characteristic are compared with each other and the finite element model of the bridge was updated considering the material properties and boundary conditions. It is emphasized that Operational Modal Analysis method based on the ambient vibrations can be used safely to determine the dynamic characteristics, to update the finite element models, and to monitor the structural health of long reinforced concrete highway bridges constructed with the balanced cantilever method.