Structural Health Monitoring Framework Research Articles

An intelligent BIM-enabled digital twin framework for real-time structural health monitoring using wireless IoT sensing, digital signal processing, and structural analysis

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure is critically important due to its direct influence on public safety and economic activities. Exiting Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based SHM systems often use offline data processing techniques to analyze and visualize structural health data. Despite some of them adopting Internet of Things (IoT) to enable real-time sensor data collection, sensor data quality still remains uncertain due to a lack of sensor signal preprocessing in those existing systems. Additionally, the IoT-based SHM systems often disregard structural analysis domain knowledge, which is important for accurate and precise SHM. Therefore, there is still a need to improve existing systems and practices by enabling more efficient and reliable data collection and processing as well as providing more representative SHM data visualization in BIM. As such, this paper proposes an intelligent BIM-enabled digital twin (DT) framework that integrates wireless IoT sensing and communication, digital signal processing (DSP), and structural analysis domain knowledge. The proposed system (1) leverages IoT sensing and wireless communication to enable autonomous and real-time SHM sensor data collection and transmission, (2) applies and compares multiple DSP techniques to preprocess the sensor data/signals, and (3) innovatively embraces structural analysis expertise into structural behavior visualization in BIM by performing sensor data interpolation for enabling the visualization of structural behaviors at different locations of a structural element/component. The proposed BIM-enabled DT framework was demonstrated and tested for monitoring and visualizing the structural deformations of critical structural components using a prototyped structural frame subject to bending forces. The developed framework could be used and extended for any structural elements (such as beams, columns, trusses, slabs, arches, bracings, walls, footings, foundations, and girders, among others) and could be applied to any kind of structure. Experimental results showed that the proposed framework could effectively monitor and intuitively visualize the structural deformations under different load configurations with a high DT updating frequency of 5 Hz. The innovation of this study is reflected by integrating structural analysis expertise with IoT-enabling sensing data analytics in order to improve the representativeness of real-time structural behavior visualization in BIM and to advance the DT-based SHM systems in a faster and more adaptive direction. Ultimately, this paper contributes to the body of knowledge by developing a generic and easily extendable BIM-enabled DT framework for SHM with high sensor data quality and improved visualization to advance the existing practices of BIM-based SHM for civil infrastructure asset management.

Monitoring framework development for a network of multiple laboratory structures

The stadium structures have unique structural features increasing the significance of structural monitoring systems specifically designed for them. Aside from vibrations serviceability concerns and human-induced excitations, the development and propagation of structural damage under all possible atmospheric and seismic conditions need to be closely monitored for structural resiliency and integrity of the stadia. As such, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methods combined with effective data evaluation methodologies need to be deployed to monitor the structural performance of stadiums. Even though stadia monitoring has been performed at multiple locations in the world, a web based and real-time SHM network of stadia is not known to authors. As a preliminary study for the network implementation of stadia monitoring with acceleration measurements, the presented work focuses on the fundamental steps to accomplish this goal, with a collaborative research effort between Qatar University, the University of Central Florida, and University of Alberta. The authors performed analytical investigations and experimental testing on stadium-type structures built in laboratory environments for the development of the SHM framework. Specialized signal processing algorithms, sensing suites and approaches considering multi-scale monitoring were used on collected acceleration measurements. The novelty of the work presented in this manuscript are the following items which exist simultaneously in the developed SHM framework. The developed framework is a web-based monitoring application where structural damage is detected in real-time. The proposed methodology operates directly on raw acceleration signals and runs at a network level. With that, the damage detection, damage localization, and damage quantification tasks are performed simultaneously, while the feature extraction and classification stages are combined in one learning body.

Bayesian data-driven framework for structural health monitoring of composite structures under limited experimental data

Ultrasonic-guided waves can be used to monitor the health of thin-walled structures. However, the run of experimental damage tests on materials like carbon fiber-reinforced plastics can be impractical and costly. Instead, numerical models can be used to create hybrid datasets to train machine learning algorithms, integrating data from numerical and experimental tests. This paper presents a Bayesian-driven framework to compensate for limited experimental data regarding Lamb wave propagation in composite plates. Using Bayesian inference, the framework updates a numerical finite element model, considering observed uncertainties by sampling posterior probability density functions for input parameters using Markov–Chain Monte Carlo simulations with the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. A neural network surrogate model speeds-up these simulations, leading to a model that replicates the uncertain experimental setup. This model then generates data to augment true experimental data. Finally, a one-dimensional convolutional neural network is trained on a three different datasets to analyze Lamb wave signals and assess damage. Comparing training strategies shows the hybrid dataset augmented by samples generated by the updated FE model gives the most accurate damage size predictions.

Enhancing Wireless Sensor Network in Structural Health Monitoring through TCP/IP Socket Programming-Based Mimic Broadcasting: Experimental Validation

This paper presents the implementation of a synchronous Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) framework utilizing wireless, low-cost, and off-the-shelf components. Vibration-based condition monitoring plays a crucial role in assessing the reliability of structural systems by detecting damage through changes in vibration parameters. The adoption of low-cost Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has gained traction, emphasizing the need for precise time synchronization to schedule wake-up times of multiple sensor nodes for data collection. To address this challenge, our proposed method introduces a TCP/IP socket programming-based mimic broadcasting mechanism and a scalable sensing network controlled by a central gateway, leveraging the Raspberry Pi Python platform. The system operates using Internet of Things (IoT) concepts and adopts a star topology, where a packet is transmitted from the gateway to initiate measurements simultaneously on multiple sensor nodes. The sensor node comprises a MEMS accelerometer, a real time clock DS3231 module and Raspberry Pi Zero 2W (RPi0-2W), while the gateway employs a Raspberry Pi 4 (RPi4). To ensure accurate time synchronization, all Pi0-2W nodes were configured as Network Time Protocol (NTP) clients, synchronizing with an RPi4 server using chrony, the reliable implementation of the NTP. Through experimental evaluations, the system demonstrates its effectiveness and reliability in achieving initial time synchronization. This study addresses the challenge of achieving precise time alignment between sensor nodes through the utilization of the Dynamic Time Wrapping (DTW) method for Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) applications. The contribution of this research significantly enhances the field by improving the accuracy and reliability of time-aligned measurements, with a specific focus on utilizing low-cost sensors. By developing a practical and cost-effective SHM framework, this work advances the accessibility and scalability of structural health monitoring solutions, facilitating more widespread adoption and implementation in various engineering applications

Degradation analysis of dynamic properties for plain concrete structures under mixed-mode fracture conditions via an improved cohesive crack approach

The present work investigates the crack-induced degradation of the dynamic characteristics in plain concrete elements subjected to mixed-mode fracture conditions. Specifically, a discrete fracture model, based on an inter-element cohesive approach, has been improved and implemented into a 2D finite element framework to evaluate the progressive variation of the static and dynamic properties as the damage level increases. The obtained numerical results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed model in determining the load-carrying capacity and the degradation of natural vibration frequencies during damage propagation, demonstrating its applicability in the framework of structural health monitoring.

Enhanced high-resolution structural crack detection using hybrid interacting Particle-Kalman filter

Monitoring the health of large-scale infrastructure with the required precision necessitates high-dimensional support models and extensive instrumentation. However, in a model-based structural health monitoring (SHM) framework, the ability to localize damage is constrained by the discretization of the model. To enhance the resolution of discretization, dense instrumentation is essential to address the inherent challenges in solving the inverse problem. Yet, increasing dimensionality can introduce detection delays, a critical concern in SHM. Additionally, addressing uncertainties stemming from the model, measurements, or external factors is crucial for reliable real-world SHM. This study focuses on localized damages, such as cracks, where detection precision is paramount. To tackle these challenges, this study proposes an innovative hybrid interacting Particle-Kalman filter (h-IPKF)-based SHM approach that surpasses model discretization limitations for detection resolution. This approach employs two distinct indices for crack localization: global (GDI) and local (LDI) damage indices. GDI identifies the affected element using a coarsely discretized predictor model, while LDI precisely pinpoints the crack location within the element. This paper represents the crack as a massless rotational spring with deteriorated stiffness (γ) and parameterizes it using GDI, LDI, and γ. Subsequently, the h-IPKF framework is employed to estimate the crack parameters, capable of handling both continuous and discrete random variables, which is advantageous for addressing discrete variables like GDI. Extensive numerical and real validation tests on beam structures were conducted to assess the algorithm’s sensitivity to noise and damage severity, demonstrating its efficiency, promptness, and precision in detecting cracks within structures.

Enhancing the Damage Detection and Classification of Unknown Classes with a Hybrid Supervised–Unsupervised Approach

Most damage-assessment strategies for dynamic systems only distinguish between undamaged and damaged conditions without recognizing the level or type of damage or considering unseen conditions. This paper proposes a novel framework for structural health monitoring (SHM) that combines supervised and unsupervised learning techniques to assess damage using a system’s structural response (e.g., the acceleration response of big infrastructures). The objective is to enhance the benefits of a supervised learning framework while addressing the challenges of working in an SHM context. The proposed framework uses a Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)/Probabilistic Linear Discriminant Analysis (PLDA) strategy that enables learning the distributions of known classes and the performance of probabilistic estimations on new incoming data. The methodology is developed and proposed in two versions. The first version is used in the context of controlled, conditioned monitoring or for post-damage assessment, while the second analyzes the single observational data. Both strategies are built in an automatic framework able to classify known conditions and recognize unseen damage classes, which are then used to update the classification algorithm. The proposed framework’s effectiveness is first tested considering the acceleration response of a numerically simulated 12-degree-of-freedom system. Then, the methodology’s practicality is validated further by adopting the experimental monitoring data of the benchmark study case of the Z24 bridge.

Uncertainty Quantification of a Machine Learning Model for Identification of Isolated Nonlinearities with Conformal Prediction

Abstract Structural nonlinearities are often spatially localized, such joints and interfaces, localized damage, or isolated connections, in an otherwise linearly behaving system. Quinn and Brink [12] modeled this localized nonlinearity as a deviatoric force component. In other previous work [13], the authors proposed a physics-informed machine learning framework to determine the deviatoric force from measurements obtained only at the boundary of the nonlinear region, assuming a noise-free environment. However, in real experimental applications, the data are expected to contain noise from a variety of sources. In the present work, we explore the sensitivity of the trained network by comparing the network responses when trained on deterministic (“noise-free”) model data and model data with additive noise (“noisy”). As the neural network does not yield a closed-form transformation from the input distribution to the response distribution, we leverage the use of conformal sets to build an illustration of sensitivity. Through the conformal set assumption of exchangeability, we may build a distribution-free prediction interval for both network responses of the clean and noisy training sets. This work will explore the application of conformal sets for uncertainty quantification of a deterministic structure-preserving neural network and its deployment in a structural health monitoring framework to detect deviations from a baseline state based on noisy measurements.

Convolutional neural network–based structural health monitoring framework for wind turbine blade

Wind energy is a renewable energy source with a significant impact on the date for harnessing it. Different types of wind turbines (WTs) are being built to generate affordable, dependable, and eco-friendly renewable wind energy. Over time, cracks are found to be developed in the blades of the WTs, which is considered the most common type of damage that ultimately causes the catastrophic failure of the structures. This study aims to develop a structural health monitoring (SHM) framework for localizing cracks of a WT blade using a convolutional neural network (CNN)–based deep learning algorithm. With that objective, the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) 63-412 profile (WT blade) of length 29 m was modelled in finite element analysis (FEA) ANSYS 2022 R2. A crack is introduced to the model by making a groove at different blade locations. The mode shape and natural frequencies are obtained and validated with those reported in the literature. Further, the blade is excited by an impact load applied at the tip of the blade, and acceleration time histories are collected. The acceleration time history data are converted to scalogram images and fed into the CNN algorithm for damage classification and localization. In this study, the concept of class activation maps is also utilized for visual representations of the input images’ areas that significantly influence a class’s classification score. The classified results show that using CNN can successfully localize the region of the cracks and motivate us to examine it on a laboratory-based model.

Assessing Weak Adhesion in Single Lap Joints Using Lamb Waves and Machine Learning Methods for Structural Health Monitoring

The use of adhesive joints has become increasingly popular in various industries due to their many benefits, such as low weight and good mechanical performance. However, adhesive joints can suffer from defects, one of them being weak adhesion. This defect poses a significant risk to structural integrity and can lead to premature failure, but is hard to detect using existing nondestructive testing methods. Therefore, there is a need for an effective technique that can detect weak adhesion in single-lap joints (SLJ) to prevent failure and assist in maintenance, namely in the framework of structural health monitoring. This paper presents a novel approach utilizing machine learning and Lamb Waves (LW) to determine the level of weak adhesion. Firstly, a numerical model of SLJs with different levels of weak adhesion is created and an original approach is proposed for its validation with data from real samples so that reliable LW data can further be easily generated to train and test any other data-driven algorithm for tackling damage. Secondly, a damage detection method is proposed, based on artificial neural networks and fed with simulated data, to determine the level of damage in SLJs, independent of their location. The results show that the simulation model can be validated with a small set of experimental data, being capable of replicating real damage in SLJs. Additionally, the use of simulated data in the training algorithm can increase the accuracy of the simulation model up to 26% when compared to only considering experimental data. The adopted artificial neural network for detecting weak adhesion emerges as a promising approach, yielding a precision of over 95%. Thus, machine learning and LW data can be used to improve the reliability and accuracy of adhesive bonding quality control, as well function as a technique for structural health monitoring, which can enhance the safety and durability of bonded structures.

A deep learning approach for anomaly identification in PZT sensors using point contact method

The implementation of piezoelectric sensors is degraded due to surface defects, delamination, and extreme weathering conditions, to mention a few. Hence, the sensor needs to be diagnosed before the efficacious implementation in the structural health monitoring (SHM) framework. To rescue the problem, a novel experimental method based on Coulomb coupling is utilised to visualise the evolution of elastic waves and interaction with the surface anomaly in the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) substrate. Recently, machine learning (ML) has been expeditiously becoming an essential technology for scientific computing, with several possibilities to advance the field of SHM. This study employs a deep learning-based autoencoder neural network in conjunction with image registration and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) to diagnose the surface anomaly in the PZT substrate. The autoencoder extracts the significant damage-sensitive features from the complex waveform big data. Further, it provides a nonlinear input–output model that is well suited for the non-linear interaction of the wave with the surface anomaly and boundary of the substrate. The measured time-series waveform data is provided as input into the autoencoder network. The mean absolute error (MAE) between the input and output of the deep learning model is evaluated to detect the anomaly. The MAEs are sensitive to the anomaly that lies in the PZT substrate. Further, the challenge arising from offset and distortion is addressed with ad hoc image registration technique. Finally, the localisation and quantification of the anomaly are performed by computing PSNR values. This work proposes an advanced, efficient damage detection algorithm in the scenario of big data that is ubiquitous in SHM.

Subspace-based modal identification and uncertainty quantification from video image flows

Vibration measurements for structural health monitoring (SHM) by operational modal analysis (OMA) are classically obtained from sensors that are embedded in or physically attached to the monitored structure, like accelerometers or strain gauges. However, the setup time of these sensors and their restricted number and space coverage limit their monitoring capabilities. Video image-based sensing methods can overcome these shortcomings. With adequate image processing methods, motion signals are extracted from video image flows, which are then processed by system identification methods to estimate modal parameters. In this way, the pixels in selected regions of interest within the images act as a dense network of contactless sensors distributed over the whole structure. In this paper, the efficiency of this video-based approach is demonstrated with laboratory experiments on a cantilever beam, in particular, by evaluating its capability for detecting weak damages mimicked by slight mass modifications. To this end, the steerable filter-based method (ST), that recovers displacements from local phase, is first extended to overcome its motion limitation of one pixel size. Then, the performance of the improved motion extraction method is compared with two other well-established methods in the context of OMA, where natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes with high spatial resolution are estimated together with their uncertainty bounds using covariance-driven subspace identification. The compared methods are evaluated with the help of reference laser displacement measurements as well as a finite element model of the beam, revealing differences in the accuracy of the estimated mode shapes depending on the chosen method for motion extraction. Finally, aiming to investigate early structural damage detection, experiments are carried out under small structural changes and the results are compared to a reference state with the help of estimated uncertainties. Small but statistically significant changes in the modal parameters are detected, showing the potential of the vision based framework for SHM.

Digital twin-based structural health monitoring by combining measurement and computational data: An aircraft wing example

Digital twin is a concept that utilizes digital technologies to mirror the real-time states of physical assets and extract the hidden yet valuable information of physical assets for optimization, decision-making or scheduling. By combining measurement and computational data, this paper presents a digital twin-based structural health monitoring framework of physical assets. The process for building the measurement-computation combined digital twin (MCC-DT) involves four steps. First, an artificial intelligence-driven load identification method combining measurement and computational data is employed to recognize the loads applied on physical assets. Two approaches were proposed to realize load identification, based on single fidelity surrogate models and deep learning techniques, respectively. Second, multi-fidelity surrogate (MFS) models are applied to improve the accuracy in the MCC-DT. Two routes for implementing the MFS models are introduced and the advantages and shortcomings of both are analyzed. Third, an online rainflow counting algorithm is developed to calculate the degradation of the physical assets. The main advantage of the algorithm is that it can provide a near real-time estimation for the damage accumulated of physical assets. Finally, the data generated from the first three steps can be fused into a three-dimensional scene using Web graphics library to provide an intuitive view of the MCC-DT. To describe the implementation details of the framework and verify its applicability and effectiveness, the MCC-DT was established using an aircraft model as an example.

IoT enabled diagnosis and prognosis framework for structural health monitoring

IoT enabled diagnosis and prognosis framework for structural health monitoring

Machine learning models in structural engineering research and a secured framework for structural health monitoring

Machine learning models in structural engineering research and a secured framework for structural health monitoring

Towards Automatic Crack Size Estimation with iFEM for Structural Health Monitoring.

The inverse finite element method (iFEM) is a model-based technique to compute the displacement (and then the strain) field of a structure from strain measurements and a geometrical discretization of the same. Different literature works exploit the error between the numerically reconstructed strains and the experimental measurements to perform damage identification in a structural health monitoring framework. However, only damage detection and localization are performed, without attempting a proper damage size estimation. The latter could be based on machine learning techniques; however, an a priori definition of the damage conditions would be required. To overcome these limitations, the present work proposes a new approach in which the damage is systematically introduced in the iFEM model to minimize its discrepancy with respect to the physical structure. This is performed with a maximum likelihood estimation framework, where the most accurate damage scenario is selected among a series of different models. The proposed approach was experimentally verified on an aluminum plate subjected to fatigue crack propagation, which enables the creation of a digital twin of the structure itself. The strain field fed to the iFEM routine was experimentally measured with an optical backscatter reflectometry fiber and the methodology was validated with independent observations of lasers and the digital image correlation.

An unsupervised structural health monitoring framework based on Variational Autoencoders and Hidden Markov Models

An unsupervised structural health monitoring framework based on Variational Autoencoders and Hidden Markov Models

Unsupervised learning-based framework for indirect structural health monitoring using adversarial autoencoder

This paper studies the problem of bridge health monitoring in an unsupervised manner utilizing only the measured responses from a vehicle passing over a bridge. A half-car model along with a simply supported beam is adopted for numerically simulating vehicle–bridge interaction (VBI). Multiple bridge states including healthy bridge and damaged bridge with varying severity at different locations are considered. A data-driven approach based on adversarial autoencoder (AAE) by incorporating the generative capabilities of adversarial autoencoder and pre-processing techniques including frequency filtering and signal averaging is proposed. Vehicle acceleration responses associated only with the healthy bridge state are used for model training. Reconstruction error estimated by the proposed model is adopted as a damage detection index. Along with the detection of the damage in the bridge, the proposed framework is also able to estimate the severity of the damage. The proposed framework also overcomes the limitations of other unsupervised learning approaches such as principal component analysis and autoencoders due to its better representation of data in the latent sub-space with an additional prior distribution constraint. Further, the proposed framework is validated through experimentally obtained data from a laboratory scale bridge model. The contribution of this work is three-fold: First, an adversarial autoencoder-based unsupervised learning framework supplemented by appropriate pre-processing techniques is proposed for drive-by bridge monitoring for the first time, and its implementation is extensively investigated. Second, the superior performance of the proposed AAE framework compared to the competing techniques is demonstrated. Finally, this paper presents one of the early successful attempts of drive-by bridge inspection for monitoring the progressive change in the structure of a bridge. Research presented in this work can potentially open up new opportunities for condition monitoring of bridge networks.

Structural displacement monitoring using ground-based synthetic aperture radar

This study develops a ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GBSAR) imaging system and interferometric processing framework for structural health monitoring (SHM). Radar remote sensing for displacement monitoring plays a vital role in SHM. Radar sensors and, more specifically, GBSAR systems have gained more attention in recent studies due to their capability to overcome the limitations of other contact or non-contact SHM sensors. This paper proposes a three-dimensional SAR imaging system and advanced signal processing scheme to extract continuous (fast) displacement components, such as structural vibrations, and discontinuous (slow) displacements, such as subsidence or uplift, using SAR time-series datasets. Using controlled experiments, this study shows that the developed GBSAR can monitor sub-millimeter displacements with high spatial resolution and 0.02 mm precision in the LOS direction. Moreover, several simulations are carried out to evaluate the proposed displacement monitoring algorithms. Accordingly, the proposed continuous monitoring framework can measure fast LOS displacements with better than 0.03 mm precision by reducing the effects of radar movement, clutters, and disturbances. Also, evaluations on a simulated monitoring scene at 20 m from the GBSAR’s LOS show that the proposed discontinuous displacement monitoring algorithm can estimate 3D displacement vectors with sub-millimeter precision. The results show that the developed GBSAR can be used for repeat-pass LOS displacement monitoring and the proposed algorithms demonstrate high potential for measuring continuous sub-second LOS displacements and long-term 3D displacement vectors.

Robust Vibration Output-only Structural Health Monitoring Framework Based on Multi-modal Feature Fusion and Self-learning

Output-only structural health monitoring is a highly active research direction because it is a promising methodology for building digital twin applications providing near-real-time monitoring results of the structure. However, one of the technical bottlenecks is how to work effectively with multiple high-dimensional vibration signals. To address this question, this study develops a two-stage data-driven framework based on various advanced techniques, such as time-series feature extractions, self-learning, graph neural network, and machine learning algorithms. At first, multiple features in statistical, time, and spectral domains, are extracted from raw vibration data; then, they subsequently enter a graph convolution network to account for the spatial correlation of sensor locations. After that, the high-performance adaptive boosting machine learning algorithm is leveraged to assess structures' health states. This method allows for learning a lower-dimensional yet informative representation of vibration data; thus, the subsequent monitoring tasks could be performed with reduced time complexity and economical computational resources. The performance of the proposed method is qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrated through two examples involving both numerical and experimental structural data. Furthermore, comparison and robustness studies are carried out, showing that the proposed approach outperforms various machine learning/deep learning-based methods in terms of accuracy and noise/missing-robustness.