Output-only Identification Techniques Research Articles

Output-only identification of time-varying structural modal parameters under thermal environment

Obtaining the input load presents a significant challenge for system identification problems with time-varying characteristics in aerospace engineering. Therefore, the modal parameter is determined through output-only identification techniques. Considering rapid time-varying characteristics in thermal environment, a Recursive Subspace Method (RSM) is used to enhance the precision of identifying modal parameters. A three-degree-of-freedom system with time-varying stiffness is first investigated to validate the identification method. The effect of noise on the robustness of the algorithm is discussed. Then, the experimental investigation is undertaken considering a composite beam under a time-varying thermal environment though the thermal-vibration experimental system. Experimental results indicate that the change of structural modal frequencies under variable temperature environment is mainly affected by the thermal stress induced in the structure. Comparing the experimental and simulation result, the output-only identification approach has good efficiency and convergence for time-varying system.

Enhancing response estimation and system identification in structural health monitoring through data-driven approaches

Through the advancement of Data Science methodologies, a new era in output-only identification techniques has been inaugurated, driven by the integration of data-driven methodologies within the realm of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). This study endeavors to introduce a simplified data-driven approach catering to System Identification (SI) and Response Estimation (RE). This is realized through the utilization of a summation of sine functions, fashioned as a model to harmonize with time domain vibration and acoustic responses. The fidelity of the findings is subsequently authenticated through the application of the Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) technique. In addition to the identification process, the proposed approach extends its applicability to predicting time domain responses at novel locations. This augmentation is achieved by harnessing an enhanced methodology founded on the principles of the Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) technique. The veracity of these predicted outcomes is underscored through a comparison with measurements recorded at the same locations, alongside concurrent analysis of DMD-derived results. In order to affirm the efficacy of the proposed methodology, a case study involving a building grappling with enigmatic vibration issues is meticulously selected. The findings underscore that the proposed technique not only adeptly discerns unidentified vibrations without resorting to frequency domain transformation techniques, but also facilitates precise estimation of time domain responses.

Output‐only model updating of adjacent buildings from sparse seismic response records and identification of their common excitation

Output-only identification of civil structures is a challenging yet in escapable task, as input excitations are unmeasurable in many real-world situations. This paper presents a new output-only technique to jointly identify the model parameters of adjacent buildings from their recorded seismic responses. Classic output-only identification techniques are based on various limiting assumptions about the unknown input signal (e.g., whiteness), which are often violated for earthquakes. While other advanced output-only (e.g., blind) identification techniques have recently been developed, their applications can be limited due to their computational costs and sensor density requirements. The proposed method assumes that two adjacent buildings experience the same foundation input motion during an earthquake. Both systems are then identified by investigating the uncommon portions of their measured responses through a cross-relation (CR) method. To relax the CR method's nominally restrictive identifiability criteria, mechanics-based finite element (FE) models of the two buildings are utilized and updated, instead of direct identification of their impulse response functions (IRFs). An unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is employed for model updating, which also quantifies the estimation uncertainties. Having identified the buildings, their common input excitation is recovered through a stable deconvolution approach. The overall method is verified through a synthetic example, and identifiability conditions are investigated. While the proposed method is limited to linear-elastic ranges of response, it is capable of handling limited measurements (e.g., single biaxial accelerometer for each building); therefore, it offers an ideal solution for identification of structural models of sparsely instrumented buildings along with their foundation input motions at regional scales.

A comparative study on in-flight modal identification of an aircraft using time- and frequency-domain techniques

In this study, in-flight modal identification analyses are made based on vibration data collected during a flight test of an aircraft, by using two different output-only identification techniques: frequency domain decomposition and data-driven stochastic subspace identification. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of the two methods in modal parameter estimation and to validate their capability in dealing with some challenging tasks such as time tracking of modal parameters and estimating modal damping ratios. In addition, the effects of different environmental conditions and maneuvers are investigated by separating the flight-test data, such as static engine start, taxi, takeoff, cruise, roll, climb, descend, and yaw maneuvers. It is demonstrated that the selection of operational conditions and maneuvers plays a crucial role in identifying the modal parameters of the aircraft.

Noninvasive Parameter Identification in Rotordynamics Via Fluid Film Bearings—Linking Active Lubrication and Operational Modal Analysis

In recent years, theoretical and experimental efforts have transformed the conventional tilting-pad journal bearing (TPJB) into a smart mechatronic machine element. The application of electromechanical elements into rotating systems makes feasible the generation of controllable forces over the rotor as a function of a suitable control signal. The servovalve input signal and the radial injection pressure are the two main parameters responsible for dynamically modifying the journal oil film pressure and generating active fluid film forces in controllable fluid film bearings. Such fluid film forces, resulting from a strong coupling between hydrodynamic, hydrostatic, and controllable lubrication regimes, can be used either to control or to excite rotor lateral vibrations. If “noninvasive” forces are generated via lubricant fluid film, “in situ” parameter identification can be carried out, enabling evaluation of the mechanical condition of the rotating machine. Using the lubricant fluid film as a “noninvasive calibrated shaker” is troublesome, once several transfer functions among mechanical, hydraulic, and electronic components become necessary. In this framework, the main original contribution of this paper is to show experimentally that the knowledge about the several transfer functions can be bypassed by using output-only identification techniques. This paper links controllable (active) lubrication techniques with operational modal analysis, allowing for in situ parameter identification in rotordynamics, i.e., estimation of damping ratio and natural frequencies. The experimental analysis is carried out on a rigid rotor-level system supported by one single pair of pads. The estimation of damping and natural frequencies is performed using classical experimental modal analysis (EMA) and operational modal analysis (OMA). Very good agreements between the two experimental approaches are found. Maximum values of the main input parameters, namely, servovalve voltage and radial injection pressure, are experimentally found with the objective of defining ranges of noninvasive perturbation forces.

Calibration of the dynamic behaviour of incomplete structures in archeological sites: the case of Villa Diomede portico in Pompeii

This paper reports the research activities carried out on Villa Diomede in Pompeii, built during the “Pre-Roman period” (i.e. the 3rd century BC) and discovered between 1771 and 1774 during the archaeological excavations. It is one of the greatest private buildings of Pompeii and it is located on the western corner of the modern archeological site. Three levels compose the building: the ground floor, the lower quadriportico with a square plan and a series of colonnades on the four sides around the inner garden and the cryptoportico. Villa Diomede was damaged by the strong earthquake occurred in AD 63 that caused the collapse of the western pillars of the quadriportico and later damaged after the big eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. In June 2015 a series of nondestructive tests (NDT) were carried out by the authors in order to obtain information on the state of conservation of the building and to assess its structural behavior. Direct and tomographic sonic pulse velocity tests, ground penetrating radar, endoscopies and operational modal analysis were performed on the remaining structural elements on the two levels of the Villa. The present paper reports the main outcomes and findings of ambient vibration tests implemented to extract the modal parameters in terms of eigenfrequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios. Operational modal analysis and output-only identification techniques were applied to single stone pillars of the quadriportico structure and then to the entire square colonnade of Villa Diomede. Results are then used to study the soil-structure interaction at a local level and extend the gained information for the numerical calibration of the whole structure. Thanks to this methodology a detailed model updating procedure of the quadriportico was performed to develop reliable numerical models for the implementation of advance structural and seismic analysis of this “incomplete” archaeological structure.

Operational modal analysis for the characterization of ancient water towers in Pompeii

In the framework of an investigation campaign carried out in June 2015 by the authors on four ancient water towers (10–20 BC) in the archaeological site of Pompeii, modal analysis and output-only identification techniques were employed to extract the dynamic properties in order to assess structural vulnerabilities and support numerical model updating.The four investigated towers (selected among the fourteen present within the archaeological site) are free-standing structures at least 6 m tall, belonging to the Castellum Aquae, i.e. the ancient aqueducts system of the city. During the Roman Age, until the destruction of Pompeii due to the volcanic eruption in 79 AD, water towers provided fresh water to houses, palaces and villas. This particular type of structures are classified as no. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by archaeological literature: no. 1 and 4 are made of soft stone masonry (tuff, limestone), while no. 2 and 3 are composed by brickwork masonry.The paper reports the outcomes of ambient vibration tests performed on four towers in terms of extracted modal parameters using various operational modal analysis techniques. Obtained data are then used to study numerically the soil-structure interaction problem and implement model updating procedures.

Ambient modal testing of a double-arch dam: the experimental campaign and model updating

A finite element model updating of a double-curvature-arch dam (La Tajera, Spain) is carried out hereof using the modal parameters obtained from an operational modal analysis. That is, the system modal dampings, natural frequencies and mode shapes have been identified using output-only identification techniques under environmental loads (wind, vehicles). A finite element model of the dam-reservoir-foundation system was initially created. Then, a testing campaing was then carried out from the most significant test points using high-sensitivity accelerometers wirelessly synchronized. Afterwards, the model updating of the initial model was done using a Monte Carlo based approach in order to match it to the recorded dynamic behaviour. The updated model may be used within a structural health monitoring system for damage detection or, for instance, for the analysis of the seismic response of the arch dam- reservoir-foundation coupled system.

Output-only modal dynamic identification of frames by a refined FDD algorithm at seismic input and high damping

The present paper deals with the seismic modal dynamic identification of frame structures by a refined Frequency Domain Decomposition (rFDD) algorithm, autonomously formulated and implemented within MATLAB. First, the output-only identification technique is outlined analytically and then employed to characterize all modal properties. Synthetic response signals generated prior to the dynamic identification are adopted as input channels, in view of assessing a necessary condition for the procedure׳s efficiency. Initially, the algorithm is verified on canonical input from random excitation. Then, modal identification has been attempted successfully at given seismic input, taken as base excitation, including both strong motion data and single and multiple input ground motions. Rather than different attempts investigating the role of seismic response signals in the Time Domain, this paper considers the identification analysis in the Frequency Domain. Results turn-out very much consistent with the target values, with quite limited errors in the modal estimates, including for the damping ratios, ranging from values in the order of 1% to 10%. Either seismic excitation and high values of damping, resulting critical also in case of well-spaced modes, shall not fulfill traditional FFD assumptions: this shows the consistency of the developed algorithm. Through original strategies and arrangements, the paper shows that a comprehensive rFDD modal dynamic identification of frames at seismic input is feasible, also at concomitant high damping.

Blind identification of soil–structure systems

Surrounding soil can drastically influence the dynamic response of buildings during strong ground shaking. Soil’s flexibility decreases the natural frequencies of the system; and in most cases, soil provides additional damping due to material hysteresis and radiation. The additional damping forces, which are in non-classical form, render the mode shapes of the soil–structure system complex-valued. The response of a soil-foundation system can be compactly represented through impedance functions that have real and imaginary parts representing the stiffness and damping of the system, respectively. These impedance functions are frequency-dependent, and their determination for different configurations been the subject of a considerable number of analytical, numerical, and experimental studies. In this paper, we first develop a new identification technique that is capable of extracting complex mode shapes from the recorded free or ambient vibrations of a system. This technique is an extension of the second-order blind identification (SOBI) method, which is fairly well established in a number of other areas including sound separation, image processing, and mechanical system identification. The relative ease of implementation of this output-only identification technique has been the primary source of its appeal. We assess the accuracy and the utility of this extended SOBI technique by applying it to both synthetic and experimental data. We also present a secondary procedure, through which the frequency-dependent soil-foundation impedance functions can be easily extracted. The said procedure has a practical appeal as it uses only free or ambient responses of the structure to extract the foundation impedance functions, whereas current techniques require expensive and time-consuming forced-vibration tests.

Pescara benchmark: overview of modelling, testing and identification

The `Pescara benchmark' is part of the national research project `BriViDi' (BRIdge VIbrations and DIagnosis) supported by the Italian Ministero dell'Universitá e Ricerca. The project is aimed at developing an integrated methodology for the structural health evaluation of railway r/c, p/c bridges. The methodology should provide for applicability in operating conditions, easy data acquisition through common industrial instrumentation, robustness and reliability against structural and environmental uncertainties. The Pescara benchmark consisted in lab tests to get a consistent and large experimental data base and subsequent data processing. Special tests were devised to simulate the train transit effects in actual field conditions. Prestressed concrete beams of current industrial production both sound and damaged at various severity corrosion levels were tested. The results were collected either in a deterministic setting and in a form suitable to deal with experimental uncertainties. Damage identification was split in two approaches: with or without a reference model. In the first case f.e. models were used in conjunction with non conventional updating techniques. In the second case, specialized output-only identification techniques capable to deal with time-variant and possibly non linear systems were developed. The lab tests allowed validating the above approaches and the performances of classical modal based damage indicators.

Dynamic Assessment of the Iron Bridge at Paderno d’Adda (1889)

The paper presents the experimental modal analysis recently carried out on the historic iron bridge at Paderno d’Adda (1889). The dynamic tests were performed in operational conditions (i.e. under traffic and wind-induced excitation) between June and October 2009 and different output-only identification techniques were used to extract the modal parameters from ambient vibration data. The described tests represent the first experimental investigation carried out on the global characteristics of the bridge, since the load reception tests of 1889 and 1892.

Challenges in the Application of Stochastic Modal Identification Methods to a Cable-Stayed Bridge

This paper presents an analysis of the data collected in the ambient vibration test of the International Guadiana cable-stayed Bridge, which links Portugal and Spain, based on different output-only identification techniques: peak-picking, frequency domain decomposition, covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification, and data-driven stochastic subspace identification. The purpose of the analysis is to compare the performance of the four techniques and evaluate their efficiency in dealing with specific challenges involved in the modal identification of the tested cable-stayed bridge, namely the existence of closely spaced modes, the perturbation produced by the local vibration of stay-cables, and the variation of modal damping coefficients with wind velocity. The identified natural frequencies and mode shapes are compared with the corresponding modal parameters provided by a previously developed numerical model. Additionally, the variability of some modal damping coefficients is related with the vari...

Damage Identification Using Modal Data: Experiences on a Prestressed Concrete Bridge

Large scale tests with progressive damage on a prestressed concrete highway bridge have been performed to investigate the sensitivity of several damage detection, localization, and quantification methods based on modal parameters. To investigate the quality of modal parameters, the data set of one damage step was analyzed by several output-only identification techniques. Although the bridge was severely cracked, natural frequencies as well as mode shapes display only minor changes. However, the relative changes of mode shapes are larger than those observed for natural frequencies. A novel damage indicator, called mode shape area index, based on changes of mode shapes, has been developed and found as the most sensitive damage detection approach. Damage detection or localization via changes of the flexibility matrix performed better than natural frequencies or mode shapes alone. The application of the direct stiffness calculation and a sensitivity-based model update technique showed results having a high level of ambiguity about the location and quantification of damage also at the highest damage level. Evaluating the information collected in this study the test results indicate that an early stage damage identification in prestressed concrete bridges is hardly possible because of the nearly complete recovery of stiffness after closing of cracks in prestressed concrete and the effect of environmental parameters on modal data.

A reassessment of dynamic characteristics of the Quincy Bayview Bridge using output‐only identification techniques

AbstractA reassessment of the dynamic characteristics of the 542 m cable‐stayed Bayview Bridge in Quincy, Illinois, is presented using a newly developed output‐only system identification technique. The technique is applied to an extensive set of ambient vibration response data acquired from the bridge in 1987. Vertical, torsional and transverse modal frequencies of the deck are identified, and uncertainty in damping values are estimated using an automated procedure on several redundant measurements at four locations. Important practical implementation issues associated with the implementation of the procedure and selection of algorithm design parameters for stochastic subspace identification techniques are discussed.An overall mean and standard deviation of damping of 1.0±0.8% is estimated considering all identified vertical, torsional and transverse modes in the 0–2 Hz band. The mean damping for the fundamental vertical mode (0.37 Hz) is identified as 1.4±0.5%, and for the first coupled torsion–transverse mode (0.56 Hz) is identified as 1.1±0.8%. Variability in the damping estimates is shown to decrease as estimated modal RMS acceleration levels increase. Standard deviations on estimated damping range from 0.05% to 2%. The results are shown to be a substantial improvement in the evaluation of damping compared to earlier spectral analysis conducted on the same data set. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.