Author(s)

IVANO ALDREGHETTI, GIOSUÈ BOSCATO, MAURO FIORIN, LORENZO MASSARIA, VINCENZO SCAFURI

Abstract

The Structural Health Monitoring based on vibrational data offers an effective, reliable, and nondestructive methodology to assess the structural integrity of existing buildings. This aspect is particularly appreciated for the architectural heritage because enables to characterise the global structural condition of a monument in respect of its preservation. On the other hand, the structural assessment by dynamic identification is an onerous procedure, both in terms of costs of monitoring and data processing time. For this reason, the procedure proposed in this paper offers a simplified solution for structural integrity assessment. The goal is to detect, localise, classify, and assess the alteration of the global stiffness and weak areas through the comparison of the signal energy based on vibrational data and related pattern. The procedure was applied on a case study to better understand structural integrity procedure and to evaluate approach reliability. The time histories recorded on complex historical façade through “input-output” and “output only” methods were elaborated and compared. A fixed grid of excitation and recording points was created to map the distribution of signal energy values. The lower signal energy values are able to detect the loss of stiffness marking the vulnerability of structure, validated by experimental modal analysis. The comparison between experimental and numerical dynamic parameters with the results of signal energy analysis enables to identify the degree of connection between the sub-parts defining the potential macro-element mechanisms.

Keywords

SHM, signal energy, structural integrity, experimental modal analysis, dynamic identification