Characterization Of Structural Damage Research Articles

Potential Structural Damage Characterization through Remote Sensing Data: A Nondestructive Experimental Case Study

Atmospheric corrosion, especially in coastal environments, is a major structural problem affecting metallic structures in various sectors. Structural health monitoring systems based on satellite information can help to ensure the proper behavior of civil structures and are an interesting alternative for remote locations. The aim of this case study is to relate remote sensing information to the results of experimental studies for potential structural damage characterization. The ultimate idea is to characterize any environment without long testing periods or sampling costs. Comparative nondestructive experimental tests involving different locations, sampling techniques, and study periods are performed. The results obtained are analyzed and compared with meteorological satellite data characterization at each site. The experimental test results show sufficient statistical significance ( p < 0.05), confirming that the areas potentially most susceptible to corrosion can be identified using information from remote sensing satellites based on orientation, wind conditions, and wind origin. This can be used to facilitate the remote design and monitoring of structures more accurately with a stability guarantee.

Frequency Contour-Strip Method for Characterization of Damage in Structures under Noisy Conditions

Eigen-frequency, compared with mode shape and damping, is a more practical and reliable dynamic feature to portray structural damage. The frequency contour-line method relying on this feature is a representative method to identify damage in beam-type structures. Although this method has been increasingly applied in the area of damage identification, it has two significant deficiencies: inefficiency in establishing the eigen-frequency panorama; and incompetence to identify cracks in noisy conditions, considerably impairing the effectiveness in identifying structural damage. To overcome these deficiencies, a novel method, termed the frequency contour-strip method, is developed for the first time. This method is derived by extending the frequency contour line of 1D to frequency contour strip of 2D. The advantages of the frequency contour-strip method are twofold: (i) it uses the isosurface function to instantly produce the eigen-frequency panorama with a computational efficiency several orders of magnitude higher than that of the frequency contour-line method; and (ii) it can accommodate the effect of random noise on damage identification, thereby thoroughly overcoming the deficiencies of the frequency contour-line method. With these merits, the frequency contour-strip method can characterize damage in beam-type structures with more efficiency, greater accuracy, and stronger robustness against noise. The proof of concept of the proposed method is performed on an analytical model of a Timoshenko beam bearing a crack and the effectiveness of the method is experimentally validated via crack identification in a steel beam.

Characterization of Structural Damage on the Facade of Colonials Houses in Cartagena

Characterization of Structural Damage on the Facade of Colonials Houses in Cartagena

Detecção de falhas em estruturas inteligentes usando otimização por nuvem de partículas: fundamentos e estudo de casos

Os materiais piezelétricos são denominados de "materiais inteligentes" e pertencem a uma classe de dielétricos que exibem deformação significativa em resposta a aplicação de um campo elétrico. Estes materiais, também, produzem uma polarização dielétrica, ou seja, um campo elétrico em resposta a deformação no material. Esta dupla propriedade exibida pelos materiais piezelétricos torna extremamente vantajosa a aplicação destes materiais para sistemas de controle e para localização e caracterização de falhas estruturais. Neste artigo, a caracterização de falhas estruturais é realizada em dois passos. Em uma primeira etapa é utilizado o método da impedância elétrica para se determinar a região do dano e em uma segunda etapa se utiliza um método de otimização para quantificar a severidade das falhas. Identificação de falhas pertence ao grupo de problemas inversos, e portanto, não há solução única. A metodologia híbrida proposta se beneficia da técnica de impedância elétrica para localizar as regiões de danos e, assim, diminuir o número de variáveis envolvidas no processo de otimização. O procedimento é validado através de diferentes abordagens de otimização por nuvem de partículas, que é uma técnica da inteligência coletiva, usando operadores com geração de números aleatórios baseados em distribuições Gaussiana e de Cauchy.

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE CHARACTERIZATION USING FREE DECAYS

A new technique for the identification and characterization of damage in structures is presented. The technique employs a newly developed non-exponential transient decay model which relies on a statistical description of the structure's modal characteristics. The resulting technique provides an estimate of both the severity and extent of the damage without reliance on detailed modal information. The technique is supported by numerical simulations of damaged truss structures.