Acceleration Record Research Articles

Transformer-Driven Affective State Recognition from Wearable Physiological Data in Everyday Contexts

The rapid advancement in wearable physiological measurement technology in recent years has brought affective computing closer to everyday life scenarios. Recognizing affective states in daily contexts holds significant potential for applications in human–computer interaction and psychiatry. Addressing the challenge of long-term, multi-modal physiological data in everyday settings, this study introduces a Transformer-based algorithm for affective state recognition, designed to fully exploit the temporal characteristics of signals and the interrelationships between different modalities. Utilizing the DAPPER dataset, which comprises continuous 5-day wrist-worn recordings of heart rate, skin conductance, and tri-axial acceleration from 88 subjects, our Transformer-based model achieved an average binary classification accuracy of 71.5% for self-reported positive or negative affective state sampled at random moments during daily data collection, and 60.29% and 61.55% for the five-class classification based on valence and arousal scores. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of applying affective state recognition based on wearable multi-modal physiological signals in everyday contexts.

A refined output-only modal identification technique for structural health monitoring of civil infrastructures

The increasing installation of structural health monitoring systems has raised the need for efficient and rapid data interpretation algorithms. Operational modal analysis is currently one of the most used techniques for extracting modal properties, and some attempts have been made to automate this procedure. However, automated techniques often require manual calibration of hyperparameters and show inconsistencies across different case studies. This paper proposes a refined version of the automated frequency domain decomposition (AFDD) using the modal assurance criterion (MAC) to obtain natural frequencies and mode shapes. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on the ambient vibration response of the Yonghe cable-stayed bridge in China, accounting for influential factors including noise levels, acceleration record length, sensor layouts. A novel approach is then introduced to interpret the results of the sensitivity analyses. The approach consists in plotting the result of each analysis in a stabilization diagram and then using a Gaussian mixture model that clusters the poles into core and outliers. This allows to identify regions where the MAC thresholds are optimal. By comparing the results of all the sensitivity analyses it was possible to define a single optimal MAC threshold, avoiding the need for fixing a value based on the user’s experience. Three substantially different case studies were analyzed to extensively test the methodology: the Yonghe cable-stayed bridge, the PolyU footbridge in Hong Kong, and Moletta Tower in the Circus Maximus archeological site in Italy. The analysis compared the proposed AFDD algorithm to the traditional frequency domain decomposition and covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification. Specifically, the efficiency in identifying close frequencies, weakly excited modes, spurious peaks, and complex modes was evaluated for each method, which highlighted the robustness of the proposed optimized AFDD. The analysis showcases peculiar characteristics and drawbacks of each method when trying to identify complex vibrational modes of the specific case studies. It was found that the proposed AFDD procedure performs better than traditional methods despite it may misidentify complex modes due to the constraints of a narrower modal domain and similar geometries.

Synchronous LoRa sensor nodes for modal identification in footbridge vibration monitoring

AbstractThis article aims at presenting a preliminary investigation of using long-range and low-cost LoRa (Long Range) technology and two synchronous LoRa sensor nodes for cost-effective footbridge structural health monitoring (SHM). Two sensor nodes with LoRa modules and accelerometers were employed for vibration monitoring and a new attempt was made to use synchronous LoRa nodes for modal identification. In this article, a modal identification method based on a lightweight synchronization concept was proposed. This method is able to identify the fundamental mode of vibrating beam structures. Meanwhile, maximum accelerations can also be tracked periodically from the simultaneously recorded acceleration data by the synchronous LoRa nodes. Specifically, synchronization was achieved through the wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) communication between the two LoRa nodes, with the aim of initializing simultaneous acceleration recordings. The fundamental frequency and the phase information derived from the on-board calculation of the synchronized nodes can then be used to effectively identify the vertical bending mode and torsion mode. A series of laboratory tests were also conducted on a beam structure for the purpose of validation. The test results showed that the fundamental mode of the vibrating beam can be obtained rapidly and accurately using the synchronized LoRa nodes, with an average synchronization accuracy of 4.45 ms. The maximum acceleration data recorded by the LoRa nodes also showed high accuracy when compared with the raw acceleration data collected from a commercial Bluetooth accelerometer node. The fundamental frequencies obtained from both types of nodes also compare reasonably. The proposed modal identification method using two synchronous LoRa sensor nodes provides a basis for the development of a low-cost footbridge SHM system with the integration of IoT techniques. An attempt has been made to perform a preliminary field test on a cable-stayed footbridge, where the fundamental frequency and the mode shape type of the footbridge were successfully identified and its serviceability condition was also found to satisfy the code requirements.

Assessment of a Force Method for the Resilient Seismic Design of Special Moment-Resisting Steel Frames with Hysteretic Energy Dissipation Devices

In this paper, the authors present the results of nonlinear dynamic analyses of twelve building models designed according to a methodology based upon the force method, capacity design principles and the concept of structural fuses to achieve resilient seismic designs for special moment-resisting steel frames with hysteretic energy dissipation devices mounted on chevron steel bracing. It is demonstrated that the resilient design mechanism previously checked with pushover analyses is also attained for most studied models with nonlinear dynamic analyses using an acceleration record which is compatible with the elastic design spectrum. Also, it is corroborated that the planned second line of inelastic defense is activated if the seismic action surpasses the considered design spectrum. Based upon the obtained results, it is confirmed that it is possible to perform a resilient seismic design for the studied system under the proposed methodology, even for tall and slender buildings. Therefore, the proposed initial stiffness ratio parameters and the global design parameters previously proposed by the authors to use in a code-oriented force method can be used with confidence for the resilient seismic design of this structural system.

Spectral ratio analysis of the site amplification effect and nonlinear site response at MYGH10 during the 2021 MW 7.1 Fukushima earthquake in Japan

AbstractGround motion recording with peak ground acceleration (PGA) exceeding 1.43 g was observed at the Yamamoto (MYGH10) station during the MW 7.1 Fukushima earthquake off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, in February 2021. In this study, we investigated the site amplification effect and nonlinear site response at the MYGH10 site using the horizontal‐to‐vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) and surface‐to‐borehole spectral ratio (SBSR), respectively. The site transfer function of station MYGH10 was presented using HVSRs (HVSR on the ground surface) and SBSR at different frequency bands. The dominant contributing frequency band of the PGA was determined by increasing the high cutoff frequency of the bandpass filter when filtering the acceleration recording, which was used to interpret the anomaly of the PGA by combining it with the site characteristics. We found an obvious site effect below the downhole sensor through the HVSRb (HVSR on the downhole bedrock) and determined the influence of the frequency band of the downhole site on ground motion. In addition, substantial discrepancies in the frequency and amplitude between the spectral ratio curves for the Fukushima mainshock records and the weak historical motions were identified. The calculated values of the degree of nonlinearity suggested that a strong nonlinear site response occurred at station MYGH10. Finally, the recovery of the site after strong shaking was evaluated by using the average spectral ratio curves of several aftershock records.

Configuration of a gravel-rubber geotechnical seismic isolation system from laboratory and field tests

We present the outcomes derived from controlled laboratory experiments on utilizing gravel rubber mixtures (GRM) as a geotechnical seismic isolation (GSI) stratum beneath the foundational structure of the EuroProteas prototype. The study encompassed three distinct GRM compositions characterized by varying rubber proportions relative to the total mixture weight (0%, 10%, and 30%) employed as the foundation soil. These GSI-structure systems were subjected to external harmonic forces applied atop the structure of EuroProteas across a broad spectrum of frequencies and force magnitudes. Preceding the commencement of field experiments, resonant column and cyclic triaxial compression assessments were conducted on specimens featuring identical rubber fractions and mean grain size ratios. Our laboratory tests revealed that an increase in rubber content resulted in a reduction of the shear modulus (Go) and an augmentation of the damping ratio (Do) while concurrently inducing a more linear character in the G/Go-logγ-D profiles. The findings derived from the laboratory examinations align closely with those ascertained from field investigations. Expressly, it was confirmed that a GSI layer with a thickness of 0.50 meters, composed of a GRM incorporating 30% rubber content, exhibited a discernible reduction in the overall stiffness of the GSI-structure system, accompanied by a corresponding alteration in its fundamental vibrational frequency. The enhanced damping within the system manifested through observable reductions in acceleration recordings and diminished strain development at the base of the GRM layer with 30% rubber content, encompassing a wide range of frequencies.

Achieving Intensity Distributions of 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Türkiye) Earthquakes from Peak Ground Acceleration Records

On 6 February 2023, two large earthquakes struck southern Türkiye on the same day, resulting in a considerable loss of life and property damage over a large region that included 11 cities. After these disasters, there was a requirement to define the soil-related intensity distribution, aside from manufacturing defects caused by buildings. The modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) scale results in the same intensity value (XI) when decimal values are not mathematically considered, even though the fundamental data in the AFAD and USGS sources differ. In this study, an equation based on the MMI–PGA relationship was obtained and tested with ten previously developed equations to calculate the earthquake intensity. Seven of these selected equations, depending on the earthquake magnitude, were calculated comparatively. The equation most compatible with the earthquakes that occurred on 6 February 2023 was obtained in this study. In addition, it was decided that three similar equations could also be used. Intensity distribution maps were created according to the calculated MMI values. In this way, it has been observed that different earthquake intensity values are more sensitive, reliable, objective, and sustainable.

Wearable Accelerometer and Gyroscope Sensors for Estimating the Severity of Essential Tremor.

Several validated clinical scales measure the severity of essential tremor (ET). Their assessments are subjective and can depend on familiarity and training with scoring systems. We propose a multi-modal sensing using a wearable inertial measurement unit for estimating scores on the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor rating scale (FTM) and determine the classification accuracy within the tremor type. 17 ET participants and 18 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Two movement disorder neurologists who were blinded to prior clinical information viewed video recordings and scored the FTM. Participants drew a guided Archimedes spiral while wearing an inertial measurement unit placed at the mid-point between the lateral epicondyle of the humerus and the anatomical snuff box. Acceleration and gyroscope recordings were analyzed. The ratio of the power spectral density between frequency bands 0.5-4 Hz and 4-12 Hz, and the sum of power spectrum density over the entire spectrum of 2-74 Hz, for both accelerometer and gyroscope data, were computed. FTM was estimated using regression model and classification using SVM was validated using the leave-one-out method. Regression analysis showed a moderate to good correlation when individual features were used, while correlation was high ([Formula: see text] = 0.818) when suitable features of the gyro and accelerometer were combined. The accuracy for two-class classification of the combined features using SVM was 91.42% while for four-class it was 68.57%. Potential applications of this novel wearable sensing method using a wearable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) include monitoring of ET and clinical trials of new treatments for the disorder.

Time-varying damage detection in beam structures using variational mode decomposition and continuous wavelet transform

Civil engineering structures in operation are likely to suffer damage. During the service life, structural damage evolves gradually from minor to severe. However, most current studies focus on damage localization and quantification of damage severity, and hence little attention has been paid to the detection of time-varying damage. This paper aims to propose a new approach for tracking the damage evolution of beam structures. In this approach, the wavelet threshold method is used at first to denoise the response signal. After that, the variational mode decomposition (VMD) is introduced to decompose the denoised response signal into several mono-components adaptively. A proposed index of wavelet total energy change (WTEC) is then applied to the new decomposed signals to localize damages of beam structures. On a basis of this, a time-varying damage index called wavelet energy change ratio (WECR) is established via the continuous wavelet transform and time window techniques and then applied to the response at the damaged position for tracking damage evolution. The proposed method is verified via a numerical example of a simply supported beam (its length and area of cross section are 5 m and 0.04 m2, respectively) with a sudden and a linear stiffness reduction under 1940 El Centro ground acceleration record. In addition, an experiment on a 10-meters-long steel bridge with abrupt stiffness reduction under a moving load is investigated to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed time-varying damage detection method. The results show that the index of WTEC is able to localize damages of beam structures effectively whatever they are a single damage position or multiple damage positions. Moreover, the damage evolution can be tracked by the proposed index of WECR accurately even though random noises and end effects pose a great impact on the time-varying damage detection results.

Theoretical Analysis of Composite RC Beams with Pultruded GFRP Beams subjected to Impact Loading

Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) beams have gained attention due to their promising mechanical properties and potential for structural applications. Combining GFRP core and encasing materials creates a composite beam with superior mechanical properties. This paper describes the testing encased GFRP beams as composite Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams under low-velocity impact load. Theoretical analysis was used with practical results to simulate the tested beams' behavior and predict the generated energies during the impact loading. The impact response was investigated using repeated drops of 42.5 kg falling mass from various heights. An analysis was performed using accelerometer readings to calculate the generalized inertial load. The integrated acceleration record and the measured hammer load vs. time data were utilized to determine the generalized bending load and fracture energy. Four forms of energy were calculated at the maximum load. The total energy was calculated and divided into two parts: The first part was gained by the beam's rotational kinetic energy, the bending energy in the specimen, and the elastic strain energy. The second part was the hammer's kinetic energy before striking the beam. The analytical results showed that the bending energy was less than its rotational kinetic energy for the encased GFRP beams and the reference specimens. In contrast, the encased steel beams had high bending energy due to the higher impact load and deflection. Strain energy recorded lower energy values for all specimens with higher bending energy. There is a good agreement between the tested and the calculated inertial and bending force for all beams. The ratio of inertia force to the total impact load for the encased GFRP and encased steel beams to the reference beam is about 9% and 5%, respectively.

Seismic Behavior Assessment of RC Buildings Controlled by Passive and Active Techniques

In this paper, a numerical study was carried out on the effectiveness of the active earthquake control method in improving the earthquake response of RC buildings. High damping rubber bearing design was made according to the criteria of the Uniform Building Code. Three different types of isolators were obtained geometrically. Passive earthquake control of the building was provided by placing these isolators under the columns. For active earthquake control of the building, controller design was realized by integrating it into the FE transient analysis in ANSYS. The active earthquake control design was studied using a force-based and displacement-based controller with acceleration and displacement feedback. The linear dynamic earthquake analysis in the time history of all three states of the building (un-controlled, passive, and active-controlled) was made using the acceleration record of the Seferihisar (İzmir) earthquake. When the results are examined, it is seen that the active earthquake control method provides almost all of the positive behavior expected from the passive earthquake control method. In addition, it eliminates some of the disadvantages of the passive earthquake control method.

A novel buried periodic in-filled pipe barrier for Rayleigh wave attenuation: Numerical simulation, experiment and applications

Surface wave is a major concern in ambient vibration mitigation. To this end, a novel shallow buried periodic in-filled pipe barrier is proposed. Complex dispersion analysis is conduced to evaluate the decay of surface waves and the influence of material damping. Through a combination of numerical simulations and lab-scale experiments, the effectiveness and robustness of surface wave attenuation are verified. Result shows that the proposed periodic in-filled barrier exhibits excellent performance in low-frequency surface wave attenuation. Both the energy dissipation induced by material damping and local resonance of in-filled pipes contribute to surface wave attenuation. The influence of viscosity also enhances wave attenuation and it should be taken into full account in practice. In addition, these novel wave barriers are suitable for passive isolation as well as active isolation. To further widen the attenuation zones, the gradient layouts of in-filled pipes could be a good alternative considering the limited barrier width. Besides, the feasibility of periodic in-filled barriers to train-induced vibration mitigation is preliminary verified by analyzing the measured acceleration record in the time-domain. Thanks to the subwavelength size and shallow depth, these novel wave barriers are convenient for construction and cost-effective, thus showing great potential in ambient vibration mitigation.

Analysis of passenger car powertrain system measurements in road conditions

The paper is focused on presenting a methodology for measuring power and torque based on diagnostic equipment available in most diagnostic workshops, such as OBD interfaces or the CAN Bus on-board data transmission network, under real-world road conditions. The publication presents an algorithm for calculating the powertrain’s torque and power based on measurements of changes in vehicle speed or acceleration recording during a two-phase road test. The results presented, based on the method described, apply to both the internal combustion and electric vehicle. Common powertrain operating parameters, such as maximum power, maximum torque and the powertrain’s flexibility parameters described in the literature are proposed for the final evaluation of the vehicle’s traction system.

On the determination of cyclic shear stress for soil liquefaction triggering in centrifuge model test

As the dynamic shear stress acting on soil column could not be measured directly during earthquakes, the simplified procedure proposed by Seed and Idriss is used to calculate the earthquake-induced cyclic shear stress based on acceleration record of strong motion station for liquefaction triggering evaluation. However, when this procedure is applied to physical modeling such as centrifuge model test, it will result in overestimation of the cyclic loading because the acceleration is monitored in liquefiable soil deposit and the acceleration time history will be distorted due to the softening process, and the whole time history is counted regardless the triggering of liquefaction or not. To address this problem, a centrifuge model test with long duration shaking was conducted to observe the difference of acceleration response between the soil deposit and the sidewall at the same elevation. And a series of stress-controlled undrained cyclic triaxial tests of the same sand used in centrifuge model test were carried out to obtain the cyclic strength at different elevations in model ground. This study shows that the cyclic loading before the time of liquefaction occurrence instead of the whole time history corresponds to the cyclic strength well, and also the calculation based on acceleration record of sidewall is closer to the cyclic strength than that in the soil. Thus a method is proposed to determine the cyclic shear stress in dynamic centrifuge model test, which takes the acceleration record before the time of liquefaction triggering at the sidewall of laminar container instead of that of the liquefiable soil as the source data to calculate the cyclic shear stress ratio.

Feasibility Testing of Wearable Device for Musculoskeletal Monitoring during Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation.

The objectives of this study were to test the feasibility of the developed waterproof wearable device with a Surface Electromyography (sEMG) sensor and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor by (1) comparing the onset duration of sEMG recordings from maximal voluntary contractions (MVC), (2) comparing the acceleration of arm movement from IMU, and (3) observing the reproducibility of onset duration and acceleration from the developed device for bicep brachii (BB) muscle between on dry-land, and in aquatic environments. Five healthy males participated in two experimental protocols with the activity of BB muscle of the left and right arms. Using the sEMG of BB muscle, the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and typical error (CV%) were calculated to determine the reproducibility and precision of onset duration and acceleration, respectively. In case of onset duration, no significant differences were observed between land and aquatic condition (p = 0.9-0.98), and high reliability (ICC = 0.93-0.98) and precision (CV% = 2.7-6.4%) were observed. In addition, acceleration data shows no significant differences between land and aquatic condition (p = 0.89-0.93), and high reliability (ICC = 0.9-0.97) and precision (CV% = 7.9-9.2%). These comparable sEMG and acceleration values in both dry-land and aquatic environment supports the suitability of the proposed wearable device for musculoskeletal monitoring during aquatic therapy and rehabilitation as the integrity of the sEMG and acceleration recordings maintained during aquatic activities.Clinical Relevance-This study and relevant experiment demonstrate the feasibility of the developed wearable device to support clinicians and therapists for musculoskeletal monitoring during aquatic therapy and rehabilitation.

A suggested dynamic soil – structure interaction analysis

In this paper, a new methodology for time domain analysis of buildings on raft foundations considering soil – structure interaction is proposed. Sub-structuring technique is used to separate the building as super-structure and the underneath soil as sub-structure. The super-structure can be modeled using any numerical method. However, in this paper the super-structure is modeled via the BEM to consider the real interaction area between column and slabs. The dynamic load is considered as an earthquake acceleration record that can be transformed to equivalent dynamic loads acting on the super-structure floors. The sub-structure is analyzed using the dual reciprocity boundary element method as closed domain. New iterative coupling technique is proposed between the super and sub-structures to reduce the computational effort and required storage. An example is presented to demonstrate the strength and the practicality of the proposed methodology.

Site response analysis of liquefiable stratified ground comprising silt and sand: Numerical investigations

Most of the times in situ ground comprises layers of saturated silt and sand. Present study investigates effect of thickness and position of these layers on the site response of the ground. The constitutive response of both materials has been modelled by pressure dependent multi yield material model that captures typical cyclic mobility response under undrained seismic loading. For the homogeneous sandy ground, hydraulic gradient along the depth was found to be constant and equal to the submerged unit wight of the soil (i.e., 6.86). However, when 0.5 m thick silt seam was introduced at different depths, hydraulic gradient increased to as high as 57. It is inferred that a water film under sustained high pressure may get formed beneath the silt seam. With passage of time, further increase in the hydraulic gradient across the silt seam was noted. A re-liquefaction of the overlying soil is likely to happen due to breaking of the silt seam and pressurized soil ejecta. Locally negative hydraulic gradients were also observed implying that in a soil domain there could be locally downward flow of water even though top soil gets liquified. In all cases, a zone of zero hydraulic gradient was observed near the bottom of the model. The maximum horizontal acceleration at the ground surface was found to be 0.10 g irrespective of the stratification of the ground. Wavelet coherence revealed that the acceleration record across the silt seam was in phase over entire shaking and for frequency up to 25 Hz. The input acceleration record and the acceleration record at the ground surface were found to be almost in no phase, for all cases. Spectral analysis revealed that liquefaction reduces the spectral accelerations.

APPLICATION OF WIRELESS MEMS ACCELEROMETER TO EDUCATION OF VIBRATION THEORY IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

In this paper, the applicability of a wireless MEMS accelerometer for a vibration experimental learning material is examined. It was shown that the acceleration record is obtained with sufficient accuracy by shaking table test. Using the accelerometers, the model vibration experiment with quantitative measurement can be conducted. By the survey in the lecture on the vibration theory, the educational effect of quantitative measurement in vibration experiment for students majoring in architecture is shown.

Optimal Acceleration and Energy-Based Record Selection Using Artificial Intelligence Approaches and NP

ABSTRACT The new trend toward modern earthquake-resistant design of buildings based on nonlinear dynamic analysis accounting for peak and energy demands requires efficient ground motion record selection procedures. For this reason, in the present work, two record selection strategies based on acceleration and input energy spectrum considering the spectral shape via Np are presented. Furthermore, both record selection strategies are optimized by means of four artificial intelligence (AI) techniques: Genetic Algorithms (GA), Harmony Search (HS), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Vibrating Particle System (VPS). In particular, the effectiveness of each AI approach toward the best set of ground motion records for nonlinear dynamic analysis is compared. For this aim, spectral acceleration and input energy design spectra were considered, as well as 1024 seismic records obtained from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. For all the AI or meta-heuristic approaches, the fitness function used is focused on minimizing the difference between the average spectrum of eleven ground motion records and the design spectrum using the well-known parameter Np, which represents the spectral shape in a range of periods. In addition, a penalization is included for those spectra with very large or low demands. Thus, 24 sets of eleven seismic records that can be used for nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures with a fundamental period of vibration of 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 seconds were obtained and purposes. The results demonstrate the ability of the two records selection strategies analyzed and the four meta-heuristic procedures, achieving results quickly and simply regardless of the type of demands, intensities and periods considered. Finally, it is concluded that the VPS algorithm is better in comparison with GA, HS, and PSO since it obtains superior results in almost all the selected cases.

Surface and diving metabolic rates, and dynamic aerobic dive limits (dADL) in near‐ and off‐shore bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops spp., indicate that deep diving is energetically cheap

AbstractHigh‐resolution dive depth and acceleration recordings from nearshore (Sarasota Bay, dive depth < 30 m), and offshore (Bermuda) bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) were used to estimate the diving metabolic rate (DMR) and the locomotor metabolic rate (LMR, L O2/min) during three phases of diving (descent, bottom, and ascent). For shallow dives (depth ≤ 30 m), we found no differences between the two ecotypes in the LMR during diving, nor during the postdive shallow interval between dives. For intermediate (30 m < depth ≤ 100 m) and deep dives (depth > 100 m), the LMR was significantly higher during ascent than during descent and the bottom phase by 59% and 9%, respectively. In addition, the rate of change in depth during descent and ascent (meters/second) increased with maximal dive depth. The dynamic aerobic dive limit (dADL) was calculated from the estimated DMR and the estimated predive O2 stores. For the Bermuda dolphins, the dADL decreased with dive depth, and was 18.7, 15.4, and 11.1 min for shallow, intermediate, and deep dives, respectively. These results provide a useful approach to understand the complex nature of physiological interactions between aerobic metabolism, energy use, and diving capacity.