Structural damage identification using damping: a compendium of uses and features

Abstract

The vibration responses of structures under controlled or ambient excitation can be used to detect structural damage by correlating changes in structural dynamic properties extracted from responses with damage. Typical dynamic properties refer to modal parameters: natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping. Among these parameters, natural frequencies and mode shapes have been investigated extensively for their use in damage characterization by associating damage with reduction in local stiffness of structures. In contrast, the use of damping as a dynamic property to represent structural damage has not been comprehensively elucidated, primarily due to the complexities of damping measurement and analysis. With advances in measurement technologies and analysis tools, the use of damping to identify damage is becoming a focus of increasing attention in the damage detection community. Recently, a number of studies have demonstrated that damping has greater sensitivity for characterizing damage than natural frequencies and mode shapes in various applications, but damping-based damage identification is still a research direction ‘in progress’ and is not yet well resolved. This situation calls for an overall survey of the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice of using damping to detect structural damage. To this end, this study aims to provide a comprehensive survey of uses and features of applying damping in structural damage detection. First, we present various methods for damping estimation in different domains including the time domain, the frequency domain, and the time-frequency domain. Second, we investigate the features and applications of damping-based damage detection methods on the basis of two predominant infrastructure elements, reinforced concrete structures and fiber-reinforced composites. Third, we clarify the influential factors that can impair the capability of damping to characterize damage. Finally, we recommend future research directions for advancing damping-based damage detection. This work holds the promise of (a) helping researchers identify crucial components in damping-based damage detection theories, methods, and technologies, and (b) leading practitioners to better implement damping-based structural damage identification.

Damage detection in sluice hoist beams subject to excitation at resonance frequency band based on local primary frequency

“…In this study, the damping ratio of the sluice is taken as 0.02, the amplification factor is taken as 4, = 0.866 and = 1.118 are calculated. Damage reduce structural stiffness and change frequency compared to healthy structure [10,11]. Define the change ratio of LPF as the damage identification index:…”

Damage Identification and Assessment Using Lamb Wave Propagation Parameters and Material Damping in FRP Composite Laminates

“…Guan and Gibson [16] have developed micromechanical models for damping in woven fabric-reinforced polymer matrix composites. Where as many other researchers has published results for continuous FRP composites that show damping characteristics of composite material come from microplastic or viscoelastic phenomena associated with the matrix and slippage at the interface between the matrix and the reinforcement [17,18].…”

Vibration-based damage growth monitoring in beam-like structures

“…Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a promising research field for maintaining structural health. SHM methods mainly focus on damage diagnosis including damage localization and severity evaluation [1,2]. In comparison, less attention has been paid to damage growth monitoring, which plays an important role in providing early warning of structural failure.…”