Real-Time Structural Health Monitoring and Damage Identification Using Frequency Response Functions along with Finite Element Model Updating Technique

Throughout service, damage can arise in the structure of buildings; hence, their dynamic testing becomes essential to verify that such buildings possess sufficient strength to withstand disturbances, particularly in the event of an earthquake. Dynamic testing, being uneconomical, requires proof of concept; for this, a model of a structure can be dynamically tested, and the results are used to update its finite element model. This can be used for damage detection in the prototype and aids in predicting its behavior during an earthquake. In this instance, a wireless MEMS accelerometer was used, which can measure the vibration signals emanating from the building and transfer these signals to a remote workstation. The base of the structure is excited using a shaking table to induce an earthquake-like situation. Four natural frequencies have been considered and six different types of damage conditions have been identified in this work. For each damage condition, the experimental responses are measured and the finite element model is updated using the Berman and Nagy method. It is seen that the updated models can predict the dynamic responses of the building accurately. Thus, depending on these responses, the damage condition can be identified by using the updated finite element models.