• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.401-412
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• 2009

A method is applied for the estimation of structural damage of tall slender structures using natural frequency and displacements measurements by GPS. The relationship between the variation in the global stiffness matrix (or in the stiffness of each finite element) and the change in the natural frequencies of the structure is given. In engineering practice the number of frequencies which can be derived by GPS measurement of long-period structures will be equal to one, two or three first natural frequencies. This allows us in initial studies to detect damage with frequency changes based on forward methods in which the measured frequencies are compared with the predicted analytical data. This idea, of health monitoring from possible changes to natural frequencies, or from a statement of excessive displacements is applied to the Stuttgart TV Tower.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.391-410
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• 2013

A numerical method is presented here to detect and assess structural damages from changes in natural frequencies using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm. It is possible to formulate the inverse problem in terms of optimization and then to utilize a solution technique employing ACO to assess the damage/damages of structures using natural frequencies. The laboratory tested data has been used to verify the proposed algorithm. The study indicates the potentiality of the developed code to solve a wide range of inverse identification problems in a systematic manner. The developed code is used to assess damages of beam like structures using a first few natural frequencies. The outcomes of the simulated results show that the developed method can detect and estimate the amount of damages with satisfactory precision.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.305-312
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the effect of fatigue crack propagation of the beams which have a vital importance in engineering applications, on the natural frequency of the system. Beams which have a wide range of applications, are used as fundamental structural elements in engineering structures. Therefore, early detection of any damages in these structures is of vital importance for the prevention of possible destructive damages. One of the widely used methods of early detection of damages is the vibration analysis of the structure. Hence, it is of vital importance to detect and monitor any changes in the natural frequencies of the structure. From this standpoint, in this study we experimentally investigated the effect of fatigue crack propagation on beams produced from 4140 steel, of the natural frequency of the beam. A crack was opened on the $8{\times}16{\times}500mm$ beam using a 3 mm long and 0.25 mm wide wire erosion. The beam, then, underwent 3 point bending tests at 10 Hz with a dynamic fatigue device and its natural frequencies were measured in scheduled intervals and any changes taking place on the natural frequencies of the beam were measured. This data allowed us to identify and measure the crack occurring on the beam subjected to dynamic loading, during the propagation phase. This method produced experimental data. The experimental data showed that the natural frequency of the beam decreased with the propagation of the fatigue crack on the beam.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-42
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• 2005

A method is presented to detect and assess the structural damage from changes in natural frequencies using Genetic Algorithm (GA). Using the natural frequencies of the structure, it is possible to formulate the inverse problem in optimization terms and then to utilize a solution procedure employing GA to assess the damages. The technique has been applied to a cantilever beam and a plane frame, each one with different damage scenario to study the efficiency of the developed algorithm. A laboratory tested data has been used to verify the proposed algorithm. The study indicates the potentiality of the developed code to solve a wide range of inverse identification problems in a systematic way. The outcomes show that this method can detect and estimate the amount of damages with satisfactory precision.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.3_4
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• pp.467-482
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• 2004

One of the uncertain damage parameters to jeopardize the safety of existing PSC bridges is the loss of the prestress force. A substantial prestress-loss can lead to severe problems in the serviceability and safety of the PSC bridges. In this paper, a nondestructive method to detect prestress-loss in beam-type PSC bridges using a few natural frequencies is presented. An analytical model is formulated to estimate changes in natural frequencies of the PSC bridges under various prestress forces. Also, an inverse-solution algorithm is proposed to detect the prestress-loss by measuring the changes in natural frequencies. The feasibility of the proposed approach is evaluated using PSC beams for which a few natural frequencies were experimentally measured for a set of prestress-loss cases. Numerical models of two-span continuous PSC beams are also examined to verify that the proposed algorithm works on more complicated cases.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-34
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• 2003

This paper presents a damage assessment procedure applied to periodic spring mass systems using an eigenvalue sensitivity-based method. The damage is directly related to the stiffness reduction of the damage element. The natural frequencies of periodic structures with one single disorder are found by adopting the transfer matrix approach, consequently, the first order approximation of the natural frequencies with respect to the disordered stiffness in different elements is used to form the sensitivity matrix. The analysis shows that the sensitivity of natural frequencies to damage in different locations depends only on the mode number and the location of damage. The stiffness changes due to damage can be identified by solving a set of underdetermined equations based on the sensitivity matrix. The issues associated with many possible damage locations in large structural systems are addressed, and a means of improving the computational efficiency of damage detection while maintaining the accuracy for large periodic structures with limited available measured natural frequencies, is also introduced in this paper. The incomplete measurements and the effect of random error in terms of measurement noise in the natural frequencies are considered. Numerical results of a periodic spring-mass system of 20 degrees of freedom illustrate that the proposed method is simple and robust in locating single or multiple damages in a large periodic structure with a high computational efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.138-146
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• 1996

The presence of a damage, such as a crack, in a structure increases the flexibility and damping in the structure. Most of methods to detect damage or damage location uses stiffness matrix of the structural system. The modification of stiffness matrix, however, has complicated procedures to identify structural. system in the basis of finite element model and has too many degree of freedom to calculate. Identification of changes of flexibility of structure can offer damage information immediately and simple procedure can employ real time continuous monitoring system. To identify changes of the flexibility, vibration mode shapes and natural frequencies are usually used. In this paper, a procedure for damage location in continuous girder bridges using vibration data is described. The effectiveness and sensitivity of the presented method to measurement errors in mode shapes and natural frequencies are investigated using analytical results from finite element models. It is shown that the errors in the first mode shape and first natural frequency demonstrate much larger influence than those in the higher mode shapes and modal frequencies.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.304-309
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• 2001

Natural frequencies are studied for dynamic analysis of plate girder bridges which are made up about 34% in the existing railway bridges in Korea. In this study, standard plate girder bridges designed by L-22, a standard load type of the railway specification in Korea, are modeled for finite element method analysis. SAP2000n, a commercial finite element method analysis tool, is used for structural analyses and evaluations. Span lengths of Plate girders have 7 types : 6m, 9m, 12m, 15m, 22m, 24m, and 30m. Natural frequencies are considered in mass rations and span lengths and they are compared with a recommendation of UIC 776-1R for alterations, from now on, in train conditions of operation. For changes of natural frequencies in plate girders by damages of structures, Parameter studies are accomplished.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2019

This paper studies damage detection as an optimization problem. A new objective function based on changes in natural frequencies, and Natural Frequency Vector Assurance Criterion (NFVAC) was developed. Due to their easy and fast acquisition, natural frequencies were utilized to detect structural damages. Moreover, they are sensitive to stiffness reduction. The method presented here consists of two stages. Firstly, Finite Element Model (FEM) is updated. Secondly, damage severities and locations are determined. To minimize the proposed objective function, a new bio-inspired optimization algorithm called salp swarm was employed. Efficiency of the method presented here is validated by three experimental examples. The first example relates to three-story shear frame with two single damage cases in the first story. The second relates to a five-story shear frame with single and multiple damage cases in the first and third stories. The last one relates to a large-scale eight-story shear frame with minor damage case in the first and third stories. Moreover, the performance of Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA) was compared with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The results show that better accuracy is obtained using SSA than using PSO. The obtained results clearly indicate that the proposed method can be used to determine accurately and efficiently both damage location and severity in multi-story shear frames.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.709-729
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• 2004

This paper presents numerical and experimental investigations on damage detection of mono-coupled multistory buildings using natural frequency as only diagnostic parameter. Frequency equation of a mono-coupled multistory building is first derived using the transfer matrix method. Closed-form sensitivity equation is established to relate the relative change in the stiffness of each story to the relative changes in the natural frequencies of the building. Damage detection is then performed using the sensitivity equation with its special features and minimizing the norm of an objective function with an inequality constraint. Numerical and experimental investigations are finally conducted on a mono-coupled 3-story building model as an application of the proposed algorithm, in which the influence of modeling error on the degree of accuracy of damage detection is discussed. A mono-coupled 10-story building is further used to examine the capability of the proposed algorithm against measurement noise and incomplete measured natural frequencies. The results obtained demonstrate that changes in story stiffness can be satisfactorily detected, located, and quantified if all sensitive natural frequencies to damaged stories are available. The proposed damage detection algorithm is not sensitive to measurement noise and modeling error.