Extensive amounts of operational data are generated over time by the health monitoring system of a structureβs management system, yet there are few analysis algorithms which can tell the exact working state of the structure on-line. Good maintenance engineers need to know the exact location and state of the structural components after an earthquake or some attack or accident involving the structure, possibly within a matter of hours, and the client also demands a rapid diagnosis of the structure before making decisions on any necessary remedial work.
This book is devoted to the condition assessment of a structure under operational loading, with most of the illustrations related to a bridge deck under a group of moving vehicular loads. More generally, a wide variety of excitation forces can be exerted on a structure, from earthquake excitation, wind loading, vehicular loading or ambient excitation at the supports. Different algorithms may be used to enable real time identification with deterministic results on the state of the structure. This book also covers a group of damage-detection-oriented-models developed by the author, including a new decomposition of the system matrices of the beam element and plate element. Methods for extending the deterministic condition assessment to provide statistical information are also included. The methods and algorithms described can be implemented for the on-line condition assessment of a structure through model updating of the structure during the course of extreme loading such as an earthquake, or when under normal ambient excitation or operation excitation. Different sample structures are described and analysed, supplemented with major references.
This leading-edge work will be especially useful for researchers and graduate students, and it is also heavily rooted in advanced engineering practice.