Nonlinear features for damage detection on large civil structures due to earthquakes

Abstract

This article proposes the degree of nonlinearity as a feature for damage detection on large civil structures due to earthquakes. The degree of nonlinearity, which is a numerical value, represents how nonlinear structures behave during earthquakes. The degree of nonlinearity is computed directly from the data of the ground motion and vibration of the structure. The computation of the degree of nonlinearity uses a Hilbert transform and does not require any other nonlinear structural or mathematical models. Therefore, the damage detection process is very fast. Thus, an immediate decision about the condition of structures after strong earthquakes is possible. This article shows theoretically that a plot between the degree of nonlinearity against the magnitude of the ground motion represents the behavior of a structure. This plot is considered the signature of that structure. A structure that is healthy will have its specific healthy signature. If a new earthquake strikes and the new degree of nonlinearity deviates from its healthy signature, the structure may be damaged by that earthquake. To verify the validity of the degree of nonlinearity, numerical studies of nonlinear systems are presented. Although the application of degree of nonlinearity on a real civil structure is still not totally conclusive due to the limitation of data, the results from currently available data are encouraging. With more investigation, the degree of nonlinearity could be an additional or alternative feature for vibration-based structural health monitoring.