Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 19345

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Special Issue Editors

Civil Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: earthquake engineering; structural analysis; seismic analysis of RC buildings; structural repair and maintenance of buildings; structural health monitoring; structural testing and modelling; all aimin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: assessment of structures; SHM; damage detection; theory of elasticity; static and dynamic testings of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Structural health monitoring is a strategic tool for the monitoring and non-invasive assessment of the health state of existing structures’ infrastructures and systems and can be applied in several areas, such as aeronautical, mechanical, civil, and electrical. During their life, systems are subject to several actions and environmental conditions that can lead to structural and nonstructural damage. Recent progress in sensing technology and techniques has allowed us to gain insight into the diagnosis of material degradation and structural and nonstructural damages.

Today, there is a trend of increasing the service life of structures. They are commonly assessed periodically based on the results of visual inspection or local limited nondestructive testing methods. Although visual inspections are essential, the results can often lead to subjective conclusions; therefore, structural health monitoring is essential as a tool that can detect degradation continuously at an early stage of their occurrence. SHM can provide decision support for reducing operational costs and risks throughout their life cycle.

The present Special Issue focuses on recent developments in theoretical, computational, experimental, and practical aspects in the field and aims to cover different topics, namely: sensors for structural health monitoring; damage detection and characterization algorithms; structural warning systems; model-based structural service life prediction methods; the application of SHM for different exceptional loading; influence of environmental and operational conditions; innovative sensing solutions for SHM; cultural heritage damage detection and health monitoring; bridge damage detection and health monitoring; case study applications; and short-term monitoring systems for diagnostic load testing of structures.

Prof. Dr. Hugo Rodrigues
Dr. Ivan Duvnjak
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Structural health monitoring
  • Sensing and measurement techniques
  • Damage detection algorithms and characterization
  • Data analysis
  • Structural assessment

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 154 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial on the Special Issue: Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications
by Hugo Rodrigues and Ivan Duvnjak
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11401; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112311401 - 02 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 988
Abstract
This editorial focuses on the interesting studies published within the present Special Issue related to Advanced Structural Health Monitoring [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)

Research

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33 pages, 27137 KiB  
Article
Application of Analytical Hierarchy Process for Structural Health Monitoring and Prioritizing Concrete Bridges in Iran
by Saeid Darban, Hosein Ghasemzadeh Tehrani, Nader Karballaeezadeh and Amir Mosavi
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(17), 8060; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11178060 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1965
Abstract
This paper proposes a method for monitoring the structural health of concrete bridges in Iran. In this method, the bridge condition index (BCI) of bridges is determined by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). BCI constitutes eight indices that are scored based on the [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a method for monitoring the structural health of concrete bridges in Iran. In this method, the bridge condition index (BCI) of bridges is determined by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). BCI constitutes eight indices that are scored based on the experts’ views, including structural, hydrology and climate, safety, load impact, geotechnical and seismicity, strategic importance, facilities, and traffic and pavement. Experts’ views were analyzed by Expert Choice software, and the relative importance (weight) of all eight indices were determined using AHP. Moreover, the scores of indices for various conditions were extracted from experts’ standpoints. BCI defines as the sum of weighted scores of indices. Bridge inspectors can examine the bridge, determine the scores of indices, and compute BCI. Higher values of BCI indicate better conditions. Therefore, bridges with lower BCI take priority in maintenance activities. As the case studies, the authors selected five bridges in Iran. Successful implementation of the proposed method for these case studies verified that this method can be applied as an easy-to-use optimization tool in health monitoring and prioritizing programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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12 pages, 1543 KiB  
Article
pH Measurement of Cement-Based Materials: The Effect of Particle Size
by Poh Yee Loh, Payam Shafigh, Herda Yati Binti Katman, Zainah Ibrahim and Sumra Yousuf
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(17), 8000; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11178000 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2544
Abstract
Healthy reinforced concrete should be highly alkaline to safeguard the passive protective film for reinforcement of steel bars against corrosion. pH measurement is gaining importance in research of cement-based materials (CBMs), such as paste, mortar and concrete, as well as in structural health [...] Read more.
Healthy reinforced concrete should be highly alkaline to safeguard the passive protective film for reinforcement of steel bars against corrosion. pH measurement is gaining importance in research of cement-based materials (CBMs), such as paste, mortar and concrete, as well as in structural health monitoring and forensic engineering applications. However, insufficient information is available regarding the most practical, economical and applicable quantitative pH measurement method for CBMs from the sampling to measurement stage. Existing recommended methods for measuring pH have many variables that need to be investigated to determine how they influence the pH value. Samples were recommended to be ground into very fine particles for pH measurement. Preparing very fine particles of CBMs is costly and time consuming, while larger particles, with sizes similar to sand particles, are easier to obtain, without needing special equipment. This study aims to investigate the effect of different particle sizes on the pH of cement mortar. Mortar specimens were crushed and sieved to obtain different ranges of particle sizes to measure the pH values. Results showed that specimens with large particle sizes (between 600 µm and 4.75 mm) can produce similar results to specimens with very fine particle sizes (<600 µm) by increasing the solid-to-solvent ratio or the leaching time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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14 pages, 4502 KiB  
Article
Mode Shape-Based Damage Detection Method (MSDI): Experimental Validation
by Ivan Duvnjak, Domagoj Damjanović, Marko Bartolac and Ana Skender
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4589; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11104589 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3031
Abstract
The main principle of vibration-based damage detection in structures is to interpret the changes in dynamic properties of the structure as indicators of damage. In this study, the mode shape damage index (MSDI) method was used to identify discrete damages in plate-like structures. [...] Read more.
The main principle of vibration-based damage detection in structures is to interpret the changes in dynamic properties of the structure as indicators of damage. In this study, the mode shape damage index (MSDI) method was used to identify discrete damages in plate-like structures. This damage index is based on the difference between modified modal displacements in the undamaged and damaged state of the structure. In order to assess the advantages and limitations of the proposed algorithm, we performed experimental modal analysis on a reinforced concrete (RC) plate under 10 different damage cases. The MSDI values were calculated through considering single and/or multiple damage locations, different levels of damage, and boundary conditions. The experimental results confirmed that the MSDI method can be used to detect the existence of damage, identify single and/or multiple damage locations, and estimate damage severity in the case of single discrete damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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17 pages, 9616 KiB  
Article
Structural Health Monitoring of 2D Plane Structures
by Behnam Mobaraki, Haiying Ma, Jose Antonio Lozano Galant and Jose Turmo
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(5), 2000; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11052000 - 24 Feb 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1618
Abstract
This paper presents the application of the observability technique for the structural system identification of 2D models. Unlike previous applications of this method, unknown variables appear both in the numerator and the denominator of the stiffness matrix system, making the problem non-linear and [...] Read more.
This paper presents the application of the observability technique for the structural system identification of 2D models. Unlike previous applications of this method, unknown variables appear both in the numerator and the denominator of the stiffness matrix system, making the problem non-linear and impossible to solve. To fill this gap, new changes in variables are proposed to linearize the system of equations. In addition, to illustrate the application of the proposed procedure into the observability method, a detailed mathematical analysis is presented. Finally, to validate the applicability of the method, the mechanical properties of a state-of-the-art plate are numerically determined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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17 pages, 2861 KiB  
Article
Intelligent Discrimination Method Based on Digital Twins for Analyzing Sensitivity of Mechanical Parameters of Prestressed Cables
by Zhansheng Liu, Guoliang Shi, Antong Jiang and Wenjie Li
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 1485; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11041485 - 06 Feb 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1662
Abstract
The information collected on large-span prestressed cables by field sensors is susceptible to interference, which leads to inaccurate collection of structural and mechanical parameters of large-span prestressed cables, resulting in misjudgment of structural safety performance. This paper proposes an intelligent judgment method for [...] Read more.
The information collected on large-span prestressed cables by field sensors is susceptible to interference, which leads to inaccurate collection of structural and mechanical parameters of large-span prestressed cables, resulting in misjudgment of structural safety performance. This paper proposes an intelligent judgment method for improving the sensitivity of analyzing mechanical parameters of prestressed cables based on digital twins (DTs). The safety performance of the structure was evaluated by analyzing the mechanical parameters. First, the information during prestressed cable tensioning is dynamically sensed, thereby establishing a multidimensional model of structural analysis. The virtual model is processed by the model modification rule to improve the robustness of the simulation; thus, a DT framework for the sensitivity judgment of the mechanical parameters of the cable is built. In the twin model, the simulation data of the real structure were extracted. Probabilistic analysis was performed using the Dempster–Shafer(D–S) evidence theory to discriminate the sensitivity of mechanical parameters of each cable node under the action of external forces with high accuracy and intelligence. Sensitivity analysis provides a reliable basis for the safety performance assessment of structures. Taking the wheel–spoke-type cable truss as an example, the application of DTs and D–S evidence theory to the sensitivity determination of cable mechanical parameters under temperature fully verified that the proposed intelligent method can effectively evaluate the safety performance of the actual structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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16 pages, 4699 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Plane Gate Vibration and Holding Force in Closing Process by Experiments
by Yanzhao Wang, Guobin Xu, Wensheng Li, Fang Liu and Yu Duan
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(17), 6111; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10176111 - 03 Sep 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1591
Abstract
A 1:25 scale physical model test was employed to study the plane gate vibration and holding force under the conditions of the fixed gate opening and closing process, respectively. We paid more attention to the characteristics of the gate vibration, holding force and [...] Read more.
A 1:25 scale physical model test was employed to study the plane gate vibration and holding force under the conditions of the fixed gate opening and closing process, respectively. We paid more attention to the characteristics of the gate vibration, holding force and the failure of gate-closing in closing process. The correlation between gate vibration and holding force was further examined. The results show that vertical vibration is weaker than the lateral and horizontal vibrations in fixed gate opening and is stronger than the lateral and vertical vibrations in closing process. Gate vertical vibration is self-excited vibration with a frequency of 7–14 Hz. Besides, crawl vibration in closing process is related to the upstream water depth. The higher the water level is, the earlier the crawl vibration appears. After the crawl stage, plane gate stops motion at a certain distance from the chamber floor and then the failure of gate-closing happens. Finally, gate vibration in three directions is significantly correlated with the holding force. In closing process, holding force has positive correlation with the vertical vibration and has negative correlation with the lateral and horizontal vibrations. In the crawl stage, the average of correlation coefficient in lateral, vertical and horizontal direction is −0.723, 0.733 and −0.664, respectively. Thus, the influence of gate vibration on holding force should be taken into consideration in determining the hoists capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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Review

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16 pages, 2477 KiB  
Review
A Review of Emerging Technologies for an Assessment of Safety and Seismic Vulnerability and Damage Detection of Existing Masonry Structures
by Mislav Stepinac and Mateo Gašparović
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(15), 5060; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10155060 - 23 Jul 2020
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 4137
Abstract
The construction sector has proven to be one of the slowest sectors to embrace technology—a problem that must be addressed. This problem can be quickly and efficiently addressed in certain aspects of seismic engineering: from seismic risk assessment to damage detection, as well [...] Read more.
The construction sector has proven to be one of the slowest sectors to embrace technology—a problem that must be addressed. This problem can be quickly and efficiently addressed in certain aspects of seismic engineering: from seismic risk assessment to damage detection, as well as condition assessments existing structures before or after an earthquake. In this paper, the literature review of assessment methods and damage detection technologies for existing (mainly) masonry structures is presented. Traditional methods are briefly explained, and modern are critically discussed. Special focus is given to unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as, photogrammetry and close-range remote sensing as a technology that can complement traditional ways of assessment and give us data about a structure that is often different to obtain. Graphical interpretation of one post-earthquake case study is provided. Open challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies for faster and easier assessment of seismic safety and vulnerability are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Structural Health Monitoring: From Theory to Applications)
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