• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.521-527
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• 2017

This paper proposes using the multi-type sensor vibration measurements, such as from a relative displacement sensors and a traditional accelerometer for the damage detection of shear connectors in composite bridge under moving loads. Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) spectra of these responses will be fused with a data fusion approach i.e., Dempster-Shafer method, to detect the damage of shear connectors. Experimental studies on a composite bridge model in the laboratory are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and performance of using the proposed approach in detecting the damage of shear connectors in composite bridges. Both undamaged and damaged scenarios are considered. The detection results with the data fusion of multi-type sensor measurements show a more reliable and robust performance and accuracy, avoiding the false identifications.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1253-1270
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• 2015

In this paper Magnetic Charged System Search (MCSS) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are applied to the problem of damage detection using frequencies and mode shapes of the structures. The objective is to identify the location and extent of multi-damage in structures. Both natural frequencies and mode shapes are used to form the required objective function. To moderate the effect of noise on measured data, a penalty approach is applied. A variety of numerical examples including two beams and two trusses are considered. A comparison between the PSO and MCSS is conducted to show the efficiency of the MCSS in finding the global optimum. The results show that the present methodology can reliably identify damage scenarios using noisy measurements and incomplete data.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2019

This paper addresses the problem of damage detection in suspension bridge hangers, with an emphasis on the modal flexibility method. It aims at evaluating the capability and the accuracy of the modal flexibility method to detect and locate single and multiple damages in suspension bridge hangers, with different level of severity and various locations. The study is conducted numerically and experimentally on a laboratory suspension bridge mock-up. First, the covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification is used to extract the modal parameters of the bridge from experimental data, using only output measurements data from ambient vibration. Then, the method is demonstrated for several damage scenarios and compared against other classical methods, such as: Coordinate Modal Assurance Criterion (COMAC), Enhanced Coordinate Modal Assurance Criterion (ECOMAC), Mode Shape Curvature (MSC) and Modal Strain Energy (MSE). The paper demonstrates the relative merits and shortcomings of these methods which play a significant role in the damage detection ofsuspension bridges.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.1A
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• pp.61-73
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• 2009

In this paper, hybrid health monitoring techniques using acceleration-impedance features are newly proposed to detect two damage-type in steel plate-girder bridges, which are girder's stiffness-loss and support perturbation. The hybrid techniques mainly consists of three sequential phases: 1) to alarm the occurrence of damage in global manner, 2) to classify the alarmed damage into subsystems of the structure, and 3) to estimate the classified damage in detail using methods suitable for the subsystems. In the first phase, the global occurrence of damage is alarmed by monitoring changes in acceleration features. In the second phase, the alarmed damage is classified into subsystems by recognizing patterns of impedance features. In the final phase, the location and the extent of damage are estimated by using modal strain energy-based damage index method and root mean square deviation (RMSD) method. The feasibility of the proposed hybrid technique is evaluated on a laboratory-scaled steel plate-girder bridge model for which hybrid acceleration-impedance signatures were measured for several damage scenarios. Also, the effect of temperature on the accuracy of the impedance-based damage monitoring results are experimentally examined from combined scenarios of support damage cases and temperature changes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.2
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• pp.151-165
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• 2021

This paper aims to present a novelty damage detection method to identify damage locations by the simultaneous use of both the energy and displacement damage indices. Using this novelty method, the damaged location and even the damaged floor are accurately detected. As a first method, a combination of the instantaneous frequency energy index (EDI) and the structural acceleration responses are used. To evaluate the first method and also present a rapid assessment method, the Displacement Damage Index (DDI), which consists of the error reliability (β) and Normal Probability Density Function (NPDF) indices, are introduced. The innovation of this method is the simultaneous use of displacement-acceleration responses during one process, which is more effective in the rapid evaluation of damage patterns with velocity vectors. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, various damage scenarios of the ASCE benchmark problem, and the effects of measurement noise were studied numerically. Extensive analyses show that the rapid proposed method is capable of accurately detecting the location of sparse damages through the building. Finally, the proposed method was validated by experimental studies of a six-story steel building structure with single and multiple damage cases.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.243-260
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• 2018

Detection of damages in fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) composite structures is important from the safety and serviceability point of view. Usually, damage is realized as a local reduction of stiffness and if dynamic responses of the structure are sensitive enough to such changes in stiffness, then a well posed inverse problem can provide an efficient solution to the damage detection problem. Usually, such inverse problems are solved within the framework of pattern recognition. Support Vector Machine (SVM) Algorithm is one such methodology, which minimizes the weighted differences between the experimentally observed dynamic responses and those computed using the finite element model- by optimizing appropriately chosen parameters, such as stiffness. A damage detection strategy is hereby proposed using SVM which perform stepwise by first locating and then determining the severity of the damage. The SVM algorithm uses simulations of only a limited number of damage scenarios and trains the algorithm in such a way so as to detect damages at unknown locations by recognizing the pattern of changes in dynamic responses. A rectangular fiber reinforced plastic composite plate has been investigated both numerically and experimentally to observe the efficiency of the SVM algorithm for damage detection. Experimentally determined modal responses, such as natural frequencies and mode shapes are used as observable parameters. The results are encouraging since a high percentage of damage cases have been successfully determined using the proposed algorithm.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.221-236
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• 2017

In this study, the feasibility of vibration-based damage alarming algorithms are numerically evaluated for wind turbine tower structures which are subjected to harmonic force excitation. Firstly, the algorithm of vibration-based damage alarming for the wind turbine tower (WTT) is visited. The natural frequency change, modal assurance criterion (MAC) and frequency-response-ratio assurance criterion (FRRAC) are utilized to recognize changes in dynamic characteristics due to a structural damage. Secondly, a finite element model based on a real wind turbine tower is established in a structural analysis program, Midas FEA. The harmonic force is applied at the rotor level as presence of excitation. Several structural damage scenarios are numerically simulated in segmental joints of the wind turbine model. Finally, the natural frequency change, MAC and FRRAC algorithm are employed to identify the structural damage occurred in the finite element model. The results show that these criteria could be used as promising damage existence indicators for the damage alarming in wind turbine supporting structures.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1215-1232
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• 2015

In the present paper, a method for identifying damage in a multi storeyed shear building structure is presented using minimum number of modal parameters of the structure. A damage at any level of the structure may lead to a major failure if the damage is not attended at appropriate time. Hence an early detection of damage is essential. The proposed identification methodology requires experimentally determined sparse modal data of any particular mode as input to detect the location and extent of damage in the structure. Here, the first natural frequency and corresponding partial mode shape values are used as input to the model and results are compared by changing the sensor placement locations at different floors to conclude the best location of sensors for accurate damage identification. Initially experimental data are simulated numerically by solving eigen value problem of the damaged structure with inclusion of random noise on the vibration characteristics. Reliability of the procedure has been demonstrated through a few examples of multi storeyed shear structure with different damage scenarios and various noise levels. Validation of the methodology has also been done using dynamic data obtained through experiment conducted on a laboratory scale steel structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.291-308
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• 2013

Structural health monitoring is crucial to maintain the structural performance safely. Moreover, the Kullback-Leibler divergence (KLD) is applied usually to asset the similarity between different probability density functions in the pattern recognition. In this study, the KLD is employed to detect the damage. However the asymmetry of the KLD is a shortcoming for the damage detection, to overcoming this shortcoming, two other divergences and one statistic distribution are proposed. Then the damage identification by the KLD and its three descriptions from the symmetric point of view is investigated. In order to improve the reliability and accuracy of the four divergences, the gapped smoothing method (GSM) is adopted. On the basis of the damage index approach, the new damage index (DI) for detect damage more accurately based on the four divergences is developed. In the last, the grey relational coefficient and hypothesis test (GRCHT) is utilized to obtain the more precise damage identification results. Finally, a clear remarkable improvement can be observed. To demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method, examples of an isotropic beam with different damage scenarios are employed so as to check the present approaches numerically. The final results show that the developed approach successfully located the damaged region in all cases effect and accurately.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.181-207
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• 2013

In this paper, a statistical reference-free real-time damage detection methodology is proposed for detecting joint and member damage of truss bridge structures. For the statistical damage sensitive index (DSI), wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) in conjunction with the log likelihood ratio was suggested. A sensitivity test for selecting a wavelet packet that is most sensitive to damage level was conducted and determination of the level of decomposition was also described. Advantages of the proposed method for applications to real-time health monitoring systems were demonstrated by using the log likelihood ratios instead of likelihood ratios. A laboratory truss bridge structure instrumented with accelerometers and a shaker was used for experimental verification tests of the proposed methodology. The statistical reference-free real-time damage detection algorithm was successfully implemented and verified by detecting three damage types frequently observed in truss bridge structures - such as loss of bolts, loosening of bolts at multiple locations, sectional loss of members - without reference signals from pristine structure. The DSI based on WPD and the log likelihood ratio showed consistent and reliable results under different damage scenarios.