Structural damage detection on steel beams by operational vibrations
Operational modal analysis, Damage detection, Structural Health Monitoring, Frequency Domain Decomposition
Structures can undergo deterioration processes due to several factors, such as design failures, lack of proper maintenance and natural degradation throughout the useful life. The identification of these damages is of great importance in engineering, as it assists in the application of corrective measures guaranteeing structural safety. One of the ways to monitor structural integrity (SHM) is to observe changes in the modal parameters of structures over time. In this context, this work aims to evaluate the sensitivity of the FDD (Frequency Domain Decomposition) stochastic identification technique in finding structural damage. For this, experimental tests were performed on section I metal beams, assuming that changes in physical properties (reduction of cross section) affect its rigidity and consequently its dynamic properties. Damage to the beams corresponding to approximately 2.25%, 8.15%, 16.3%, 21.36% and 24.25% area reduction was introduced. Subsequently, signal processing will be performed to determine the modal parameters. A numerical model based on the Finite Element Method (MEF) will also be developed using the ANSYS software to compare with the experimental results. It is expected that the technique can be effective for detecting minor damage and can be applied for real-time monitoring of structures.