Engineering application of a safety-state evaluation model for hidden frame-supported glass curtain walls based on remote vibration

Abstract

Laser doppler vibrometer (LDV), which has measurement advantages such as being remote and non-contact, accurate, and having rapid dynamic response, is a useful assessment tool for the safety-state evaluation of hidden frame-supported glass curtain walls (HFSGCW). The engineering application influence factors of a LDV safety-state evaluation model for HFSGCW were analyzed and the vibration frequency for practical cases was tested in this paper. Results show that the first order peak frequency from a frequency spectrum obtained by LDV can be selected as the safety-state evaluation index for HFSGCW caused by structural sealant failure. A rubber hammer is an effective way to excite glass panels to obtain an accurate vibration frequency spectrum. The middle of glass panels is advisable to be selected as the measurement point to obtain an accurate dynamic frequency. The frequency spectrum of a glass panel edge point can be used to determine structural sealant failure position. Binoculars are suggested to be added in order to improve working efficiency of LDV for measurement distance greater than 10 m. Pasting reflective film is an effective way to increase LDV test signal accuracy. The glass panel safety-state of a commercial center building in Guangdong (China) is accurately evaluated by LDV, and those test results provide guidance for real-time monitoring and repair of HFSGCW.