Seismic response trends evaluation and finite element model calibration of an instrumented RC building considering soil-structure interaction and non-structural components

Peer reviewedPostprin

System Identification of Constructed Facilities: Challenges and Opportunities Across Hazards

The motivation, success and prevalence of full-scale monitoring of constructed buildings vary considerably across the hazard of concern (earthquakes, strong winds, etc.), due in part to various fiscal and life safety motivators. Yet while the challenges of successful deployment and operation of large-scale monitoring initiatives are significant, they are perhaps dwarfed by the challenges of data management, interrogation and ultimately system identification. Practical constraints on everything from sensor density to the availability of measured input has driven the development of a wide array of system identification and damage detection techniques, which in many cases become hazard-specific. In this study, the authors share their experiences in fullscale monitoring of buildings across hazards and the associated challenges of system identification. The study will conclude with a brief agenda for next generation research in the area of system identification of constructed facilities

Prediction of seismic-induced structural damage using artificial neural networks

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Influence of vibrations on structures

One type of occasional structural load is a seismic load. Earthquakes and blasts are typical sources of vibrations, but vibration generated during urban tunnel construction can represent a significant problem. Evaluation of the harmful impact of vibrations transmitted through rock massif into buildings is solved using experimental measurements, detailed analyses of measured signals, knowledge of geological pattern and constructional analysis. Seismic load of structures due to earthquakes is solved using the EUROCODE 8 standard. The earthquake movements at a certain location on the surface are determined by an elastic response spectrum to the ground acceleration. Eurocode 8 puts emphasis especially on the robust foundations and simplicity of construction systems. It is also mentioned vibration effect on historical buildings and effect under the surface, for example, in mine spaces. Historical structures are usually even more prone to vibration damage than, for example, typical wood-frame homes. The greater concerns over historic structures arise from the design, structure age, building materials and building methods used. The peak values of vibration generated by earthquake decrease with depth; the decrease is faster in shallow layers compared with the deeper part. Technical vibrations differ from natural earthquakes, for a comparable value of maximum vibration amplitudes, especially in the frequency range of the signal and mostly its duration. Evaluation of technical seismicity is more complicated because there are usually used national standards. To document some common information about vibration effects on structures, some experimental measurements are presented. Examples of real wave patterns document common shapes and also signals with significant resonant vibrations. Very interesting is an example of resonant vibration that was generated as the influence of basin structures on the shape of wave patterns due to quarry blasts. To obtain complete information, measurement system has to keep sufficient parameters, especially the frequency range of the whole seismic channel, sampling frequency, and proper anchoring of the sensor. The basic methodology for evaluation of vibration on structures is outlined.Web of Science23331129

Community Seismic Network

The article describes the design of the Community Seismic Network, which is a dense open seismic network based on low cost sensors. The inputs are from sensors hosted by volunteers from the community by direct connection to their personal computers, or through sensors built into mobile devices. The server is cloud-based for robustness and to dynamically handle the load of impulsive earthquake events. The main product of the network is a map of peak acceleration, delivered within seconds of the ground shaking. The lateral variations in the level of shaking will be valuable to first responders, and the waveform information from a dense network will allow detailed mapping of the rupture process. Sensors in buildings may be useful for monitoring the state-of-health of the structure after major shaking

Assessment of dynamic and long-term performance of an innovative multi-story timber building via structural monitoring and dynamic testing

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Citizen Sensors for SHM: Use of Accelerometer Data from Smartphones

Ubiquitous smartphones have created a significant opportunity to form a low-cost wireless Citizen Sensor network and produce big data for monitoring structural integrity and safety under operational and extreme loads. Such data are particularly useful for rapid assessment of structural damage in a large urban setting after a major event such as an earthquake. This study explores the utilization of smartphone accelerometers for measuring structural vibration, from which structural health and post-event damage can be diagnosed. Widely available smartphones are tested under sinusoidal wave excitations with frequencies in the range relevant to civil engineering structures. Large-scale seismic shaking table tests, observing input ground motion and response of a structural model, are carried out to evaluate the accuracy of smartphone accelerometers under operational, white-noise and earthquake excitations of different intensity. Finally, the smartphone accelerometers are tested on a dynamically loaded bridge. The extensive experiments show satisfactory agreements between the reference and smartphone sensor measurements in both time and frequency domains, demonstrating the capability of the smartphone sensors to measure structural responses ranging from low-amplitude ambient vibration to high-amplitude seismic response. Encouraged by the results of this study, the authors are developing a citizen-engaging and data-analytics crowdsourcing platform towards a smartphone-based Citizen Sensor network for structural health monitoring and post-event damage assessment applications

As-Built 3D Heritage City Modelling to Support Numerical Structural Analysis: Application to the Assessment of an Archaeological Remain

Terrestrial laser scanning is a widely used technology to digitise archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage. This allows for modelling the assets’ real condition in comparison with traditional data acquisition methods. This paper, based on the case study of the basilica in the Baelo Claudia archaeological ensemble (Tarifa, Spain), justifies the need of accurate heritage modelling against excessively simplified approaches in order to support structural safety analysis. To do this, after validating the 3Dmeshing process frompoint cloud data, the semi-automatic digital reconstitution of the basilica columns is performed. Next, a geometric analysis is conducted to calculate the structural alterations of the columns. In order to determine the structural performance, focusing both on the accuracy and suitability of the geometric models, static and modal analyses are carried out by means of the finite element method (FEM) on three different models for the most unfavourable column in terms of structural damage: (1) as-built (2) simplified and (3) ideal model without deformations. Finally, the outcomes show that the as-built modelling enhances the conservation status analysis of the 3D heritage city (in terms of realistic compliance factor values), although further automation still needs to be implemented in the modelling process