Past  Conferences

	A Conference on Architectural SuretyÒ
	Assuring the Performance of Buildings and Infrastructures
	PROCEEDINGS

Vibration-Based Health Monitoring and Model Refinement

of Civil Engineering Structures

Charles R. Farrar and Scott W. Doebling

Los Alamos National Laboratory

ABSTRACT

Damage or fault detection, as determined by changes in the dynamic properties of structures, is a subject that has received considerable attention in the technical literature beginning approximately 30 years ago. The basic idea is that changes in the structure’s properties, primarily stiffness, will alter the dynamic properties of the structure such as resonant frequencies and mode shapes, and properties derived from these quantities such as modal-based flexibility. Recently, this technology has been investigated for applications to health monitoring of large civil engineering structures. This presentation will discuss such a study undertaken by engineers from New Mexico State University, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Experimental modal analyses were performed on an undamaged interstate highway bridge and immediately after four successively more severe damage cases were inflicted in the main girder of the structure. Results of these tests provide insight into the abilities of modal-based damage id methods to identify damage and the current limitations of this technology. Closely related topics that will be discussed are the use of modal properties to validate computer models of the structure, the use of these computer models in the damage detection process, and the general lack of experimental investigation of large civil engineering structures.

1997 Conference Home Page

1997 Conference Contents