• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.447-468
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• 2015

Modal identification of civil engineering structures based on ambient vibration measurement has been widely investigated in the past decades, and a variety of output-only operational modal identification methods have been proposed. However, vibration modes, even fundamental low-order modes, are not always identifiable for large-scale structures under ambient vibration excitation. The identifiability of vibration modes, deficiency in modal identification, and criteria to evaluate robustness of the identified modes when applying output-only modal identification techniques to ambient vibration responses were scarcely studied. In this study, the mode identifiability of the cable-stayed Ting Kau Bridge using ambient vibration measurements and the influence of the excitation intensity on the deficiency and robustness in modal identification are investigated with long-term monitoring data of acceleration responses acquired from the bridge under different excitation conditions. It is observed that a few low-order modes, including the second global mode, are not identifiable by common output-only modal identification algorithms under normal ambient excitations due to traffic and monsoon. The deficient modes can be activated and identified only when the excitation intensity attains a certain level (e.g., during strong typhoons). The reason why a few low-order modes fail to be reliably identified under weak ambient vibration excitations and the relation between the mode identifiability and the excitation intensity are addressed through comparing the frequency-domain responses under normal ambient vibration excitations and under typhoon excitations and analyzing the wind speeds corresponding to different response data samples used in modal identification. The threshold value of wind speed (generalized excitation intensity) that makes the deficient modes identifiable is determined.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.557-570
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• 2017

In this study, the seismic performance levels of four bridges are determined using finite element modeling based on ambient vibration testing. The study includes finite element modeling, analytical modal analyses, ambient vibration testing and earthquake analyses of the bridges. For the purpose, four prestressed precast I beam bridges that were constructed for the Ankara-Sivas high speed railway line are selected for analytical and experimental studies. In the study, firstly a literature review related to the dynamic behavior of bridges especially precast beam bridges is given and then the formulation part related to ambient vibration testing and structural performance according to Turkish Seismic Code (2007) is presented. Next, 3D finite element models of the bridge are described and modeled using LARSA 4D software, and analytical dynamic characteristics are obtained. Then ambient vibration testing conducted on the bridges under natural excitations and experimental natural frequencies are estimated. Lastly, time history analyses of the bridges under the 1999 Kocaeli, 1992 Erzincan, and 1999 Duzce Earthquakes are performed and seismic performance levels according to TSC2007 are determined. The results show that the damage on the bridges is all under the minimum damage limit which is in the minimum damage region under all three earthquakes.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.291-300
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• 1998

This paper demonstrates how ambient vibration measurements at a limited number of locations can be effectively utilized to estimate parameters of a finite element model of a large-scale structural system involving a large number of elements. System identification using ambient vibration measurements presents a challenge requiring the use of special identification techniques, which ran deal with very small magnitudes of ambient vibration contaminated by noise without the knowledge of input farces. In the present study, the modal parameters such as natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes of the structural system were estimated by means of appropriate system identification techniques including the random decrement method. Moreover, estimation of parameters such as the stiffness matrix of the finite element model from the system response measured by a limited number of sensors is another challenge. In this study, the system stiffness matrix was estimated by using the quadratic optimization involving the computed and measured modal strain energy of the system, with the aid of a sensitivity relationship between each element stiffness and the modal parameters established by the second order inverse modal perturbation theory. The finite element models thus identified represent the actual structural system very well, as their calculated dynamic characteristics satisfactorily matched the observed ones from the ambient vibration test performed on a large-scale structural system subjected primarily to ambient wind excitations. The dynamic models identified by this study will be used for design of an active mass damper system to be installed on this structure fer suppressing its wind vibration.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.171-186
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• 2008

The seismic response analysis of an existing bridge needs a mathematical model that can be calibrated with measured dynamic characteristics. These characteristics are the periods and the associated mode shapes of vibration and the modal damping coefficients. This paper deals with the measurements and the interpretation of the results of ambient vibration tests done on a newly erected cable stayed bridge across the Oued Dib River at Mila city in Algeria. The signal analysis of ambient vibration records will permit to determine the dynamic characteristics of the bridge. On the other hand, a 3-D model of the bridge is developed in order to assess the frequencies and the associated modes of vibration. This information will be necessary in the planning of the test on the site (locations of the sensors, frequencies to be measured and the associated mode shapes of vibration). The frequencies predicted by the finite element model are compared with those measured during full-scale ambient vibration measurements of the bridge. In the same way, the modal damping coefficients obtained by the random decrement method are compared to those of similar bridges.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.611-614
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• 2004

In this study, ambient vibration tests are carried out to replace the current bridge integrity assessment using controlled vehicle test, which requires the traffic control and may induce public complains. Ambient vibration tests and output-only modal identification can be very effective approach to evaluate the bridge integrity because the ambient vibration tests can be performed very easily without trafnc control. The bridges in test road of Jungbu Inland Highway were tested and the results are discussed here.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2017

With increasing number construction of high-rise building which has about 40 to 60 floors there have been many kinds of problem which related with usage from vibration. To predict response acceleration, it is important to assess correct natural frequency. However, due to the noise of MEMS sensor, it is difficult to measure dynamic characteristic such as natural frequency when measuring ambient vibration using MEMS sensor within cell phone. Therefore, a comparative analysis on vibration measuring applications was performed after measuring ambient vibration of 2 skyscrappers which have height between 133.5~244.3m that are located in Seoul and Observation tower using I-jishin APP with noise reduction function of MEMS sensor in order to verify the effectiveness of low noise type vibration measurement APP.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.338-347
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• 2010

Heunginjimun designated as a Treasure No.1 is a two-story wooden structure with 5 bay and 2 bay in its front and side views, respectively. This paper presents an investigation on vibration characteristics of Heunginjimun through both ambient vibration and impact hammer tests. Ambient vibration test was performed to identify the natural frequency of Heunginjimun from the spectrum analysis of time history. Impact hammer test was undertaken to find the frequency of Heunginjimun which is affected by the surrounding traffics and to verify the reciprocal principle for the wooden structural system. Ambient vibration test results of Heunginjimun showed that the natural frequencies in two principal axes 1.5 Hz and 1.1 Hz, respectively. It was confirmed from impact hammer tests for a ground that the frequency of 4.2 Hz is caused by the traffics surrounding Heunginjimun. It was also observed that from the impact hammer test results between two locations in Heunginjimun that the transfer functions measured from two corresponding locations coincided well with each other. This result shows that the wooden structural system is globally linear, and the reciprocal principle is established.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.3_4
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• pp.429-444
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• 2004

The ambient vibration measurement is a kind of output data-only dynamic testing where the traffics and winds are used as agents responsible for natural or environmental excitation. Therefore an experimental modal analysis procedure for ambient vibration testing will need to base itself on output-only data. The modal analysis involving output-only measurements presents a challenge that requires the use of special modal identification technique, which can deal with very small magnitude of ambient vibration contaminated by noise. Two complementary modal analysis methods are implemented. They are rather simple peak picking (PP) method in frequency domain and more advanced stochastic subspace identification (SSI) method in time domain. This paper presents the application of ambient vibration testing and experimental modal analysis on large civil engineering structures. A 15 storey reinforced concrete shear core building and a concrete filled steel tubular arch bridge have been chosen as two case studies. The results have shown that both techniques can identify the frequencies effectively. The stochastic subspace identification technique can detect frequencies that may possibly be missed by the peak picking method and gives a more reasonable mode shapes in most cases.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2013

Modal testing, widely accepted and applied method for determining the dynamic characteristics of structures for operational conditions, uses known or unknown vibrations in structures. The method's common applications includes estimation of dynamic characteristics and also damage detection and monitoring of structural performance. In this study, the structural identification of concrete arch dams is determined using ambient vibration tests which is one of the modal testing methods. For the purpose, several ambient vibration tests are conducted to an arch dam. Sensitive accelerometers were placed on the different points of the crest and a gallery of the dam, and signals are collected for the process. Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition technique is used for the extraction of natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios. A total of eight natural frequencies are attained by experimentally for each test setup, which ranges between 0-12 Hz. The results obtained from each ambient vibration tests are presented and compared with each other in detail. There is a good agreement between the results for all measurements. However, the theoretical fundamental frequency of Berke Arch Dam is a little different from the experimental.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.6 no.3 s.21
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• pp.43-50
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• 2006

This paper is concerned with the natural periods of ambient vibration and eigenvalue analysis. Ambient vibration tests were conducted to four bearing-wall reinforced concrete buildings ranging from twelve to nineteen stories. The performance of modeling in eigenvalue analysis was investigated using consideration of rigidity out of the plane in the slab and the non-structural bearing wall. Measured natural period was also compared with the value by the KBC2005. Natural period of the short direction in eigenvalue analysis is well fitted with the measured one. In the other hand, Natural period of the long direction in eigenvalue analysis is slightly more overestimated than the measured one. Natural period of the long direction in eigenvalue analysis was found to be enhanced by considering the effect of the stiffness out of the plane of the slab and non-structural wall in the structural modeling.