Structural health monitoring based on automated modal analysis: application to an arch bridge

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2013

Authors

Álvaro Cunha (Author) FEUP; Filipe Magalhães (Author) FEUP; Elsa Caetano (Author) FEUP

Book

Title: Earthquakes and Health Monitoring of Civil Structures

Pages: 241-268

ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-9400751811

Other information

Abstract (EN): This book chapter presents a strategy to perform the processing of data collected by dynamic monitoring systems in continuous operation, having in mind the evaluation of the structure health. This is based on the use of recently developed algorithms that are able to automatically perform the identification of the structure modal parameters from acceleration time series collected while the structure is in normal operation. From the analysis of the time evolution of natural frequencies associated with relevant modes, it is possible to perceive abnormal changes that might be associated with the appearance of structural damage. As it will be demonstrated throughout the chapter, this is only possible if adequate statistical tools are adopted to minimize the effects of environmental and operational factors, such as the ambient temperature or the traffic intensity over a bridge, on the experimentally identified modal parameters. The presentation of the essential theoretical aspects behind the main processing steps is combined with their exemplification on the analysis of data collected by a dynamic monitoring system in continuous operation on a concrete arch bridge at the city of Porto, in Portugal.

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 28