Non-destructive condition assessment of pole/pile/foundation structures and bridges based on guided waves and vibration measurements.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN-DAAD - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme)

Start year: 2015

Summary: This project aims at joining the complementary expertise of researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in the fields of non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) for civil infrastructures. Both institutions have a strong interest in advancing the state-of-the-art in elastic wave and vibration-based methods for quality assurance and structural health assessment. The combination of innovative instrumentation and novel data processing and analysis techniques under development at both institutions could provide the basis for new ways in research and practice. In particular, joint research work is proposed for i) the non-destructive integrity testing of pole/pile/foundation structures, and ii) the vibration-based damage detection of bridge structures with special focus on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The different complementary competences of both institutions will greatly benefit the two proposed research topics. The strength of UTS is on the simulation, data processing and data analysis side, while BAM will add its vast experience in applying standard testing techniques e.g. on piles and bridges, developing new measurement techniques and instruments as well as method combination and data fusion. This cooperation will also benefit from the involvement of UTS and BAM into previous and current research projects (e.g. UTS: ARC Linkage project on utility poles with AUSGRID, SHM project on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, BAM: EC project PileInspect, REFUND project with BBR), in most cases with strong industry links. UTS is interested in getting access to the testing facilities and instrument development capabilities at BAM and in benefiting from the unmatched experience in various complementary NDT techniques, while BAM intends to adopt some of the advanced simulation and data processing techniques available at UTS.

Publications:

Nguyen, VV, Li, J, Erkmen, E, Alamdari, MM & Dackermann, U 2018, 'FRF Sensitivity-Based Damage Identification Using Linkage Modeling for Limited Sensor Arrays', International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics, vol. 18, no. 08, pp. 1840002-1840002.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Erkmen, RE & Afnani, A 2017, 'Iterative global-local approach to consider the local effects in dynamic analysis of beams', Coupled Systems Mechanics, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 501-522.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Erkmen, RE, Gowripalan, N & Sirivivatnanon, V 2017, 'Elasto-plastic damage modelling of beams and columns with mechanical degradation', Computers and Concrete, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 315-323.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Nguyen, VV, Li, J & Erkmen, E 1970, 'Numerical investigation of a linkage modelling technique for damage identification using FRF-based model updating', SHMII 2017 - 8th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, Proceedings, International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, Brisbane, QLD, pp. 1243-1252.

Nguyen, VV, Li, J, Yu, Y, Dackermann, U & Alamdari, MM 1970, 'Simulation of various damage scenarios using finite element modelling for structural health monitoring systems', Mechanics of Structures and Materials: Advancements and Challenges - Proceedings of the 24th Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, ACMSM24 2016, Australian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, CRC Press/Balkema, Australia, pp. 1541-1546.

Yu, Y, Dackermann, U, Li, J & Subhani, M 2016, 'Condition Assessment of Timber Utility Poles Based on a Hierarchical Data Fusion Model', JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 04016010-1-04016010-13.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Dackermann, U, Yu, Y, Li, J, Niederleithinger, E & Wiggenhauser, H 1970, 'A new non-destructive testing system based on narrow-band frequency excitation for the condition assessment of pole structures using frequency response functions and principle component analysis', Website Proceedings (NDTnet) of International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing in Civil Engineering, International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing in Civil Engineering (NDT-CE), Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM), Berlin, Germany, pp. 666-669.

Keywords: non-destructive testing, damage detection, guided waves, vibration, poles, piles, foundations, bridges, timber, concrete

FOR Codes: Construction not elsewhere classified, Structural Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering and Asset Management, Geophysics not elsewhere classified, Pattern Recognition and Data Mining, Structural engineering , Data mining and knowledge discovery, Other construction not elsewhere classified, Adaptation to climate change in construction

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.