Damage localization and quantification in gusset plates: A battery-free sensing approach

Abstract

This study presents a numerical approach for damage localization and quantification in gusset plates using data provided by a battery-free sensing technology. A series of 3D finite element simulations are conducted to obtain the response of a gusset plate with a geometrical structure similar to U10W gusset plate of the I-35W Highway Bridge in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Crack propagation is simulated using the extended finite element method. A network of sensing nodes is placed on the surface of the plate to extract strain-time history for different damage stages. Subsequently, probability density functions (PDFs) are defined to characterize the output of the self-powered sensor. A crack localization and quantification approach is proposed based on fusion of the data from a network of sensors. Based on the results, damage can be precisely detected and localized through tracking relative shifts of PDFs over time. Moreover, features extracted from PDFs can be used to measure the crack size.