Tzu-Kang Lin

A comparative study in the semi-active control of isolated structures

A comparative analytical and experimental study of several algorithms for the control of seismically excited floor- and base-isolated structures is pursued in the current study. A hybrid isolation system that is comprised of a bidirectional roller–pendulum system (RPS) and augmented by controllable magnetorheological (MR) dampers is proposed to reduce the potential for damage to structures and sensitive equipment. Bidirectional motions are intelligently ameliorated in real time by the modulation of MR damper resistance. A Bouc–Wen model is adopted in numerical and experimental trials to predict behavior of the MR dampers. Three contrasting control techniques are examined. They include neural network control, LQR/clipped optimal control with variable gains and fuzzy logic control. Each control scheme is a candidate for mitigating the response of a superstructure to near- and far-field seismic loadings. Minimization of displacement and acceleration responses of the structure are considered in the formulation of each approach to control. Results of the numerical and large-scale experimental efforts reveal that the response of the isolated structure is effectively alleviated by all of the considered control methods, although they do not perform equally well. The LQR/clipped optimal controller with variable gains is superior to the other controllers in 50% of the investigated cases, while the fuzzy logic controller performs well for earthquakes with large accelerations. Neural network control is found to be effective in minimizing the acceleration of the superstructure that is subject to moderate excitation.

Online health monitoring and safety evaluation of the relocation of a research reactor using fiber Bragg grating sensors

This paper demonstrates the reliability and accessibility functions of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors in a radiation structural health monitoring and safety evaluation application. FBG sensors, dial gages and conventional resistance strain gages (RSGs) were attached to the temporary H-beam frame, and distributed below the path of the rail tracks for online safety measurements during the process of moving the structure of the research reactor. The results showed the high level of performance of the FBG sensors for an online structural health monitoring system. The measurement data from the FBG monitoring system were comparable to the theoretical calculation results and the FEM simulations as the movement progressed. The result of this investigation also clearly demonstrates that FBG sensors can overcome the harsh environments of electric and magnetic interference, while conventional RSG sensors are subject to serious fluctuations providing useless feedback.

Pushover analysis of reinforced concrete frames considering shear failure at beam-column joints

Since most current seismic capacity evaluations of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures are implemented by either static pushover analysis (PA) or dynamic time history analysis, with diverse settings of the plastic hinges (PHs) on such main structural components as columns, beams and walls, the complex behavior of shear failure at beam-column joints (BCJs) during major earthquakes is commonly neglected. This study proposes new nonlinear PA procedures that consider shear failure at BCJs and seek to assess the actual damage to RC structures. Based on the specifications of FEMA-356, a simplified joint model composed of two nonlinear cross struts placed diagonally over the location of the plastic hinge is established, allowing a sophisticated PA to be performed. To verify the validity of this method, the analytical results for the capacity curves and the failure mechanism derived from three different full-size RC frames are compared with the experimental measurements. By considering shear failure at BCJs, the proposed nonlinear analytical procedures can be used to estimate the structural behavior of RC frames, including seismic capacity and the progressive failure sequence of joints, in a precise and effective manner.

Evaluation of bridge instability caused by dynamic scour based on fractal theory

Given their special structural characteristics, bridges are prone to suffer from the effects of many hazards, such as earthquakes, wind, or floods. As most of the recent unexpected damage and destruction of bridges has been caused by hydraulic issues, monitoring the scour depth of bridges has become an important topic. Currently, approaches to scour monitoring mainly focus on either installing sensors on the substructure of a bridge or identifying the physical parameters of a bridge, which commonly face problems of system survival or reliability. To solve those bottlenecks, a novel structural health monitoring (SHM) concept was proposed by utilizing the two dominant parameters of fractal theory, including the fractal dimension and the topothesy, to evaluate the instability condition of a bridge structure rapidly. To demonstrate the performance of this method, a series of experiments has been carried out. The function of the two parameters was first determined using data collected from a single bridge column scour test. As the fractal dimension gradually decreased, following the trend of the scour depth, it was treated as an alternative to the fundamental frequency of a bridge structure in the existing methods. Meanwhile, the potential of a positive correlation between the topothesy and the amplitude of vibration data was also investigated. The excellent sensitivity of the fractal parameters related to the scour depth was then demonstrated in a full-bridge experiment. Moreover, with the combination of these two parameters, a safety index to detect the critical scour condition was proposed. The experimental results have demonstrated that the critical scour condition can be predicted by the proposed safety index. The monitoring system developed greatly advances the field of bridge scour health monitoring and offers an alternative choice to traditional scour monitoring technology. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)

Optimal Distribution of Damping Coefficients for Viscous Dampers in Buildings

Design guidelines for implementing viscous dampers to buildings have been broadly included in seismic design codes worldwide. Although the relationship between the damping coefficient of viscous dampers and the added damping ratio to the structure has been theoretically studied, the process of distributing the damping coefficient onto each story of a building has not been regulated by the codes. For practical applications, some distribution methods have been previously proposed. However, no comparison has been made between these proposed methods considering the controllability and design economy. In this paper, two search methods based on the genetic algorithms (GAs) are adopted to examine the optimal distribution of damping coefficients. The results are then compared with a variety of existing distribution methods. A comparison is made for the distribution methods assuming the same added damping ratio for the structure. Three two-dimensional frames are adopted in the comparison: a regular moment frame, a moment frame with a soft-story, and a setback building. The results indicated that similar seismic response reduction can be achieved by using different distribution methods if the supplemental damping ratio is the same, while the optimal story damping coefficient can be obtained by using the proposed optimization method. Moreover, the “story shear strain energy to efficient stories” (SSSEES) method, among others, offers advantages in terms of seismic reduction efficiency, economical design, and practical application simplicity.

Implementation of a Vibration-Based Bridge Health Monitoring System on Scour Issue

Bridges are prone to suffer from multiple hazards such as earthquake, wind, or floods for the special structural characteristic. To guarantee the stability of bridge structure, how to precisely evaluate the scour depth of bridge foundation has become an important issue recently as most of the unexpected damage or collapse of bridges are caused by hydraulic issue. In this paper, a vibration-based bridge health monitoring system considering the response of superstructure only is proposed to rapidly evaluate the embedded depth of bridge column. To clarify the complex fluid-solid coupling phenomenon, the effect of embedded depth and water level was first verified through a series of static experiment. A finite element model with confinement simulated by soil spring was then established to illustrate the relationship between the fundamental frequency and the embedded depth. With the proposed algorithm, the health condition of the bridge can be inferred by processing the ambient vibration response of the superstructure. To implement the proposed algorithm, a SHM prototype system monitoring the environmental factors such as temperature, water level, and inclination was developed to support on-line processing. The performance of the proposed system was verified by a series of dynamic bridge scour experiment conducted in laboratory flume and compared with the reading from water-proof camera. The result has shown that by using the proposed vibration-based bridge health monitoring system, the embedded depth of bridge column during complex scour process can be reliably reflected.

A bio-inspired structural health monitoring system based on ambient vibration

A structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on naive Bayesian (NB) damage classification and DNA-like expression data was developed in this research. Adapted from the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) array concept in molecular biology, the proposed structural health monitoring system is constructed utilizing a double-tier regression process to extract the expression array from the structural time history recorded during external excitations. The extracted array is symbolized as the various genes of the structure from the viewpoint of molecular biology and reflects the possible damage conditions prevalent in the structure. A scaled down, six-story steel building mounted on the shaking table of the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) was used as the benchmark. The structural response at different damage levels and locations under ambient vibration was collected to support the database for the proposed SHM system. To improve the precision of detection in practical applications, the system was enhanced by an optimization process using the likelihood selection method. The obtained array representing the DNA array of the health condition of the structure was first evaluated and ranked. A total of 12 groups of expression arrays were regenerated from a combination of four damage conditions. To keep the length of the array unchanged, the best 16 coefficients from every expression array were selected to form the optimized SHM system. Test results from the ambient vibrations showed that the detection accuracy of the structural damage could be greatly enhanced by the optimized expression array, when compared to the original system. Practical verification also demonstrated that a rapid and reliable result could be given by the final system within 1 min. The proposed system implements the idea of transplanting the DNA array concept from molecular biology into the field of SHM.

Compressive Column Load Identification in Steel Space Frames Using Second-Order Deflection-Based Methods

This paper presents a comparison of two static nondestructive methods used to assess compressive loads in columns of steel space frames. The first method requires knowledge of the flexural rigidity of the column under investigation, whereas the second method requires knowledge of the column’s buckling load. In each method, short-term displacements are measured at given cross-sections along the member under examination, which is subjected to an additional transverse load. The two methods were verified in this study through experimental and numerical tests on a column of a small-scale space frame prototype with generic connections and end conditions. Estimations of compressive forces were generally reliable when second-order effects were accurately considered. In conclusion, the two methods can be successfully used to test steel space frames in a laboratory or under real conditions.

Entropy-Based Structural Health Monitoring System for Damage Detection in Multi-Bay Three-Dimensional Structures

In this paper, a structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on multi-scale cross-sample entropy (MSCE) is proposed for detecting damage locations in multi-bay three-dimensional structures. The location of damage is evaluated for each bay through MSCE analysis by examining the degree of dissimilarity between the response signals of vertically-adjacent floors. Subsequently, the results are quantified using the damage index (DI). The performance of the proposed SHM system was determined in this study by performing a finite element analysis of a multi-bay seven-story structure. The derived results revealed that the SHM system successfully detected the damaged floors and their respective directions for several cases. The proposed system provides a preliminary assessment of which bay has been more severely affected. Thus, the effectiveness and high potential of the SHM system for locating damage in large and complex structures rapidly and at low cost are demonstrated.

Bending tests for the structural safety assessment of space truss members

This article compares two nondestructive static methods used for the axial load assessment in prismatic beam-columns of space trusses. Examples include the struts and ties or the tension chords and diagonal braces of steel pipe racks or roof trusses. The first method requires knowledge of the beam-column’s flexural rigidity under investigation, whereas the second requires knowledge of the corresponding Euler buckling load. In both procedures, short-term flexural displacements must be measured at the given cross sections along the beam-column under examination and subjected to an additional transverse load. The proposed methods were verified by numerical and laboratory tests on beams of a small-scale space truss prototype made from aluminum alloy and rigid connections. In general, if the higher second-order effects are induced during testing and the corresponding total displacements are accurately measured, it would be easy to obtain tensile and compressive force estimations.