This research investigates the performance of an existing structural damage detection method (SDIM) when only experimentally-obtained measurement information can be used to calculate the frequency response functions used to detect damage. The development of a SDIM that can accurately identify damage while processing measurements containing realistic noise levels and overcoming experimental modeling errors would provide a robust method for identifying damage in the larger, more complex structures found in practice. The existing SDIM program, GaDamDet, uses an advanced genetic algorithm, along with a two-dimensional finite element model of the structure, to identify the location and the severity of damage using the linear vibration information contained in frequency response functions (FRF) as response signatures. Datagen is a Matlab program that simulates the three-dimensional dynamic response of the four-story, two-bay by two-bay UBC test structure built at the University of British Columbia. The dynamic response of the structure can be obtained for a range of preset damage cases or for any user-defined damage case. Datagen can be used to provide the FRF measurement information for the three-dimensional test structure. Therefore, using the FRF measurements obtained from the UBC test structure allows for a more realistic evaluation of the performance of the SDIM provided by GaDamDet as the impact on performance of more realistic noise and model errors can be investigated. Previous studies evaluated the performance of the SDIM using only simulated FRF measurements obtained from a two-dimensional structural model. In addition, the disparity between the two-dimensional model used by the SDIM used to identify damage and the measurements obtained from the three-dimensional test structure is analyzed. The research results indicate that the SDIM is able to accurately detect structural damage to individually damaged members or to within a damaged floor, with few false damages identified. The SDIM provides an easy to use, visual, and accurate algorithm and its performance compares favorably to performance of the various damage detection algorithms that have been proposed by researchers to detect damage in the three-dimensional structural benchmark problem.

This research investigates the performance of an existing structural damage detection method (SDIM) when only experimentally-obtained measurement information can be used to calculate the frequency response functions used to detect damage. The development of a SDIM that can accurately identify damage while processing measurements containing realistic noise levels and overcoming experimental modeling errors would provide a robust method for identifying damage in the larger, more complex structures found in practice. The existing SDIM program, GaDamDet, uses an advanced genetic algorithm, along with a two-dimensional finite element model of the structure, to identify the location and the severity of damage using the linear vibration information contained in frequency response functions (FRF) as response signatures. Datagen is a Matlab program that simulates the three-dimensional dynamic response of the four-story, two-bay by two-bay UBC test structure built at the University of British Columbia. The dynamic response of the structure can be obtained for a range of preset damage cases or for any user-defined damage case. Datagen can be used to provide the FRF measurement information for the three-dimensional test structure. Therefore, using the FRF measurements obtained from the UBC test structure allows for a more realistic evaluation of the performance of the SDIM provided by GaDamDet as the impact on performance of more realistic noise and model errors can be investigated. Previous studies evaluated the performance of the SDIM using only simulated FRF measurements obtained from a two-dimensional structural model. In addition, the disparity between the two-dimensional model used by the SDIM used to identify damage and the measurements obtained from the three-dimensional test structure is analyzed. The research results indicate that the SDIM is able to accurately detect structural damage to individually damaged members or to within a damaged floor, with few false damages identified. The SDIM provides an easy to use, visual, and accurate algorithm and its performance compares favorably to performance of the various damage detection algorithms that have been proposed by researchers to detect damage in the three-dimensional structural benchmark problem.

All but the simplest physical systems contains mechanical joints. The behavior of these joints is sometimes the dominant factor in over all system behavior. The potential for occurence of microslip and macroslip normally makes the behavior of joints non-linear. Accurate modeling of joints requires a non-linear ramework. As clamping pressures are typically random ad variable, the behavior of the joints becomes random. Joint geometries are random along with other unknowns of the joints. Two different methods for measuring the energy dissipation are explained. In the experimental method, the energy dissipation of a non-linear joint is calculated from the slope of the envelope of the time response of acceleration. The simulation work is carried out by considering a smooth hysteresis model with the help of Matlab programming. Finally, the parameters are extracted for a specific non-linear system by comparing analytical and experimental results. / 0736988322

Este trabalho consiste na aplicação de técnicas de identificação de parâmetros estruturais, especificamente massa, rigidez e amortecimento, à caixa acústica de um violão clássico. A abordagem experimental tradicional é adotada, com medição de aceleração em um ponto da estrutura e excitação proveniente de martelo instrumentado registrada em diferentes pontos. As funções de resposta em frequência são então traçadas para, em conjunto com um modelo analítico representativo dos primeiros graus de liberdade do acoplamento ar/estrutura, realizar-se o ajuste de curvas e posterior identificação dinâmica. Para tanto, esta última etapa foi tratada como um problema matemático de otimização não linear no qual se busca a minimização de uma função objetivo que contabiliza de alguma forma a diferença entre o resultado das medições e os valores previstos pelo modelo utilizado. Várias funções de erro (objetivo) e vários algoritmos foram utilizados, como mínimos quadrados não linear, simplex de Nealder-Mead, algoritmo genético padrão e enxame de partículas (particle swarm), entre outros, sendo este último o de melhor desempenho entre todos, quando aplicado em conjunto com a norma da diferença dos logaritmos das magnitudes ao quadrado. Assim, uma calibração com boa concordância entre dados experimentais e resultados teóricos foi estabelecida para o modelo proposto, sendo realizada também a verificação do ajuste através da comparação de um conjunto independente de dados, trazendo, desta forma, confiabilidade para posteriores cálculos das grandezas associadas ao comportamento dinâmico utilizando-se o modelo ajustado. / This work aims at identify structural parameters of a classical acoustic guitar’s resonant chamber by comparing theoretical and experimental frequency response functions. The quantities used to construct the mass, stiffness and damping matrices of an air/structure analytical model, which is representative of the first few modes of the body, are considered as project variables, and an impact vibration testing approach is used to obtain the measured data, with a roving instrumented hammer and an accelerometer attached to a predefined point of the body. Then, a curve-fit analysis is performed as a mathematical problem of non-linear optimization, wherein the objective function, which is to be minimized, somehow accounts for the difference between the measured data and the theoretically predicted values. Some different error (objective) functions and optimization algorithms, like non-linear least-squares, Nealder-Mead simplex, standard genetic algorithm and particle swarm, among others, were applied, and the latter yielded, together with the squared error norm, the best performance. Then, an updated model was achieved with fair agreement between analytical predictions and experimental results, verified using a validation data set, bringing reliability for further theoretical predictions.

Este trabalho consiste na aplicação de técnicas de identificação de parâmetros estruturais, especificamente massa, rigidez e amortecimento, à caixa acústica de um violão clássico. A abordagem experimental tradicional é adotada, com medição de aceleração em um ponto da estrutura e excitação proveniente de martelo instrumentado registrada em diferentes pontos. As funções de resposta em frequência são então traçadas para, em conjunto com um modelo analítico representativo dos primeiros graus de liberdade do acoplamento ar/estrutura, realizar-se o ajuste de curvas e posterior identificação dinâmica. Para tanto, esta última etapa foi tratada como um problema matemático de otimização não linear no qual se busca a minimização de uma função objetivo que contabiliza de alguma forma a diferença entre o resultado das medições e os valores previstos pelo modelo utilizado. Várias funções de erro (objetivo) e vários algoritmos foram utilizados, como mínimos quadrados não linear, simplex de Nealder-Mead, algoritmo genético padrão e enxame de partículas (particle swarm), entre outros, sendo este último o de melhor desempenho entre todos, quando aplicado em conjunto com a norma da diferença dos logaritmos das magnitudes ao quadrado. Assim, uma calibração com boa concordância entre dados experimentais e resultados teóricos foi estabelecida para o modelo proposto, sendo realizada também a verificação do ajuste através da comparação de um conjunto independente de dados, trazendo, desta forma, confiabilidade para posteriores cálculos das grandezas associadas ao comportamento dinâmico utilizando-se o modelo ajustado. / This work aims at identify structural parameters of a classical acoustic guitar’s resonant chamber by comparing theoretical and experimental frequency response functions. The quantities used to construct the mass, stiffness and damping matrices of an air/structure analytical model, which is representative of the first few modes of the body, are considered as project variables, and an impact vibration testing approach is used to obtain the measured data, with a roving instrumented hammer and an accelerometer attached to a predefined point of the body. Then, a curve-fit analysis is performed as a mathematical problem of non-linear optimization, wherein the objective function, which is to be minimized, somehow accounts for the difference between the measured data and the theoretically predicted values. Some different error (objective) functions and optimization algorithms, like non-linear least-squares, Nealder-Mead simplex, standard genetic algorithm and particle swarm, among others, were applied, and the latter yielded, together with the squared error norm, the best performance. Then, an updated model was achieved with fair agreement between analytical predictions and experimental results, verified using a validation data set, bringing reliability for further theoretical predictions.

Este trabalho consiste na aplicação de técnicas de identificação de parâmetros estruturais, especificamente massa, rigidez e amortecimento, à caixa acústica de um violão clássico. A abordagem experimental tradicional é adotada, com medição de aceleração em um ponto da estrutura e excitação proveniente de martelo instrumentado registrada em diferentes pontos. As funções de resposta em frequência são então traçadas para, em conjunto com um modelo analítico representativo dos primeiros graus de liberdade do acoplamento ar/estrutura, realizar-se o ajuste de curvas e posterior identificação dinâmica. Para tanto, esta última etapa foi tratada como um problema matemático de otimização não linear no qual se busca a minimização de uma função objetivo que contabiliza de alguma forma a diferença entre o resultado das medições e os valores previstos pelo modelo utilizado. Várias funções de erro (objetivo) e vários algoritmos foram utilizados, como mínimos quadrados não linear, simplex de Nealder-Mead, algoritmo genético padrão e enxame de partículas (particle swarm), entre outros, sendo este último o de melhor desempenho entre todos, quando aplicado em conjunto com a norma da diferença dos logaritmos das magnitudes ao quadrado. Assim, uma calibração com boa concordância entre dados experimentais e resultados teóricos foi estabelecida para o modelo proposto, sendo realizada também a verificação do ajuste através da comparação de um conjunto independente de dados, trazendo, desta forma, confiabilidade para posteriores cálculos das grandezas associadas ao comportamento dinâmico utilizando-se o modelo ajustado. / This work aims at identify structural parameters of a classical acoustic guitar’s resonant chamber by comparing theoretical and experimental frequency response functions. The quantities used to construct the mass, stiffness and damping matrices of an air/structure analytical model, which is representative of the first few modes of the body, are considered as project variables, and an impact vibration testing approach is used to obtain the measured data, with a roving instrumented hammer and an accelerometer attached to a predefined point of the body. Then, a curve-fit analysis is performed as a mathematical problem of non-linear optimization, wherein the objective function, which is to be minimized, somehow accounts for the difference between the measured data and the theoretically predicted values. Some different error (objective) functions and optimization algorithms, like non-linear least-squares, Nealder-Mead simplex, standard genetic algorithm and particle swarm, among others, were applied, and the latter yielded, together with the squared error norm, the best performance. Then, an updated model was achieved with fair agreement between analytical predictions and experimental results, verified using a validation data set, bringing reliability for further theoretical predictions.

This thesis present novel non-destructive laboratory test methods to characterize asphalt concrete. The testing is based on frequency response measurements of specimens where resonance frequencies play a key role to derive material properties such as the complex modulus and complex Poisson’s ratio. These material properties are directly related to pavement quality and used in thickness design of pavements. Since conventional cyclic loading is expensive, time consuming and complicated to perform, there has been a growing interest to apply resonance and ultrasonic testing to estimate the material properties of asphalt concrete. Most of these applications have been based on analytical approximations which are limited to characterizing the complex modulus at one frequency per temperature. This is a significant limitation due to the strong frequency dependency of asphalt concrete. In this thesis, numerical methods are applied to develop a methodology based on modal testing of laboratory samples to characterize material properties over a wide frequency and temperature range (i.e. a master curve). The resonance frequency measurements are performed by exciting the specimens using an impact hammer and through a non-contact approach using a speaker. An accelerometer is used to measure the resulting vibration of the specimen. The material properties can be derived from these measurements since resonance frequencies of a solid are a function of the stiffness, mass, dimensions and boundary conditions. The methodology based on modal testing to characterize the material properties has been developed through the work presented in paper I and II, compared to conventional cyclic loading in paper III and IV and used to observe deviations from isotropic linear viscoelastic behavior in paper V. In paper VI, detailed measurements of resonance frequencies have been performed to study the possibility to detect damage and potential healing of asphalt concrete.  The resonance testing are performed at low strain levels (~10^-7) which gives a direct link to surface wave testing of pavements in the field. This enables non-destructive quality control of pavements, since the field measurements are performed at approximately the same frequency range and strain level. / <p>QC 20141117</p>

A new modular steel floor system, named FastFloor, is proposed for commercial buildings. The system is conceptualized to be prefabricated at the shop and ready to be installed on a previously erected skeleton frame structure consisting of girders and columns or connected to core shear walls. The system configuration aims to increase the speed of design, fabrication, and erection of a steel project by eliminating concrete pouring and curing times. Other advantages include reducing the weight of the building and its carbon footprint. Several module configurations were considered and evaluated based on a series of interviews with experts in steel fabrication and erection engineering. The selection relied not only on addressing the issues related to fabrication, transportation, and erection but also on satisfying floor vibrations, as it was determined to be the governing limit state of the plate thickness, section sizes, and beam spacing due to the presence of an unstiffened bare plate acting as a slab. Observations were performed regarding fabrication sequence and transportation on the chosen configuration. The dynamic properties of the module are particularly important because DG11 was developed for composite concrete-steel floor systems, and its applicability to all steel-floor systems needs to be evaluated. In parallel, a vibration testing program was conducted to determine the dynamic properties of the module, including natural frequencies and mode shapes. Lastly, the acceptability of the modular system for floor vibrations was evaluated by both a calculation method and a modeling approach. The analysis results suggest that the module will not satisfy floor vibrations criteria, but a modified module with added stiffeners is shown to be acceptable. Upcoming tests, by others, on specimens with a raised access floor will be necessary to refine the predictions and determine if the stiffeners are actually required. / Master of Science / FastFloor is an innovative modular all-steel floor system that aims to revolutionize the construction of commercial buildings, with benefits including enhanced efficiency in design, fabrication, and erection, as well as reduced environmental impact, by eliminating the need for concrete pouring and curing and full prefabrication in shops. Several module configurations were evaluated based on insights from industry experts in steel fabrication and erection engineering. It was observed that the main challenge in the early phases was to address issues related to fabrication, transportation, and erection while ensuring optimal performance in terms of floor vibrations. This thesis project focused on a preliminary assessment of the vibration behavior of the system by conducting dynamic tests and evaluating the compatibility with the analytical and computational procedures in Design Guide 11, which is not calibrated for an all-steel system like FastFloor. Based on the results, it was concluded that the initial configuration did not fully satisfy the floor vibrations criteria. However, through further computational evaluation, a modified module, based on the initial configuration with added stiffeners, was predicted to be satisfactory. Thus, future research will continue to refine the system behavior and predictions and evaluate the contributions of Raised Access Floor to the vibration performance.

No description available.

The aim of this study is to investigate means of efficiently assessing the effects of distributed structural modification on the dynamic properties of a complex structure. The helicopter structure is normally designed to avoid resonance at the main rotor rotational frequency. However, very often military helicopters have to be modified (such as to carry a different weapon system or an additional fuel tank) to fulfill operational requirements. Any modification to a helicopter structure has the potential of changing its resonance frequencies and mode shapes. The dynamic properties of the modified structure can be determined by experimental testing or numerical simulation, both of which are complex, expensive and time-consuming. Assuming that the original dynamic characteristics are already established and that the modification is a relatively simple attachment such as beam or plate modification, the modified dynamic properties may be determined numerically without solving the equations of motion of the full-modified structure. The frequency response functions (FRFs) of the modified structure can be computed by coupling the original FRFs and a delta dynamic stiffness matrix for the modification introduced. The validity of this approach is investigated by applying it to several cases, 1) 1D structure with structural modification but no change in the number of degree of freedom (DOFs). A simply supported beam with double thickness in the middle section is treated as an example for this case; 2) 1D structure with additional DOFs. A cantilever beam to which a smaller beam is attached is treated as an example for this case, 3) 2D structure with a reduction in DOFs. A four-edge-clamped plate with a cut-out in the centre is treated as an example for this case; and 4) 3D structure with additional DOFs. A box frame with a plate attached to it as structural modification with additional DOFs and combination of different structures. The original FRFs were obtained numerically and experimentally except for the first case. The delta dynamic stiffness matrix was determined numerically by modelling the part of the modified structure including the modifying structure and part of the original structure at the same location. The FRFs of the modified structure were then computed. Good agreement is obtained by comparing the results to the FRFs of the modified structure determined experimentally as well as by numerical modelling of the complete modified structure.