Intelligent structures: A new direction in structural control

Abstract

Since structural control of civil structures was first proposed in 1972, research and applications have focused on enhancing safety of structures under extreme conditions. This paper introduces a new direction in structural control. Computational systems and explicitly defined knowledge are used to improve serviceability and maintenance of civil structures. The objectives of such structures, called intelligent structures, are to maintain and improve structural performance by recognizing changes in behaviors and loads, adapting to meet goals, and using past events to improve future performance. To meet these objectives, synergies from research in structural control, computational methods and monitoring technology are exploited. This paper presents a review of current research and technology in structural control to provide a background on which characteristics of intelligent structures are proposed. A computational framework based on intelligent control methodology is then presented that combines reasoning from explicit knowledge, search, and learning to illustrate capabilities of intelligently controlled structures. A system based on this framework is described that uses the specific combination of case-based reasoning and simulated annealing search. An application of the system to tensegrity structures is given. Computational control systems that use this framework are stimulating the design and construction of innovative structures and thus are extending the possibilities for structural engineers.