Professional Documents
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ABSTRACT: The ambient vibration tests describe the linear behavior of structures, since the amplitudes of vibration are small.
They can be used also to describe the linear behavior of damaged structures and can help to perform more accurate structural
models of analysis in the design process of strengthening. Therefore, the development of instrumental methods for in-situ
measurement of full-scale partially damaged structures is of considerable interest. The ambient vibration investigations are
performed for use in health monitoring and in structural control studies within the technical assessment of different kinds of
structures. During the past ten years, the Romanian National Center for Earthquake Engineering and Vibration (RNCEEV) has
performed many ambient vibration tests on new and old buildings, chimney stacks and dams. An ambient vibration test during
the demolition of two wings of an old building is also presented on short in the paper. It is intended to present the results of
some of these investigations and to show how these can be used in the technical assessments of existing structures. Finally, as
Dr. Gary C. Hart pointed out, perhaps the most important reason for measuring full-scale structure response is that it records
the real motion of the building, and therefore, documents what really happened and not just what the computer structural model
of analysis says happened.
KEY WORDS: Ambient vibration; Seismic noise; Damage detection; Eigencharacteristics of vibration; Full-scale experiments.
1
INTRODUCTION
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4
4.1
Similar results for the other two structural cores (A2) and (A3)
were instrumentally obtained. In the fourth stage of the
instrumental investigations (after the construction of the steel
structural subsystem), a shortening of the fundamental eigenperiod
of vibration was observed (0.41 s) and, finally, after all floor
structures (steel deck type) and curtain walls were mounted,
the overall fundamental eigenperiod of vibration of the office
building was essentially in the same range [7]. In Figure 5
location of sensors during the final stage are presented.
4.2
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The structural system of the building consists of cast-inplace reinforced concrete moment resisting frames, with infilled walls of unreinforced masonry. The floors are typically
reinforced concrete two-ways slabs which extent to concrete
frame beams. The beam spans are different in the two wings
of the L-shaped building, with reasonable dimensions able to
support the gravity loading (depths on the order of 40 to 60
cm). The cross-section of the columns, adapted for the
particular in-plan shape of this building, varies. The
unreinforced masonry is used for constructing external
structural walls and internal partition walls.
The foundation system of the building consists of two
subsystems, each located under the two individual wings:
a system of individual footings made of plain concrete
and reinforced concrete blocks interconnected by
foundation beams for one wing;
foundations type colonnade filled with concrete also
interconnected by foundation beams, for the other wing.
A technical assessment of the building was necessary to be
carried out as the hospital has been severely damaged during
the March 4th, 1977 Vrancea earthquake. The technical
assessment showed high values for the fundamental
eigenperiods of vibration on both directions, being known that
in the design process, the computed periods are likely to be
longer than those of the actual structure.
The main objectives of the instrumental investigations
carried out before retrofitting the C2 building, were related
to the following aspects:
establishing of modal dynamic characteristics from
ambient vibration tests (eigenperiods, damping);
identification of possible elastic and/or inelastic
discontinuities induced by cumulative damage;
pointing out the vulnerable potential zones to future
seismic actions;
dynamic characterization of the structural properties of
the whole building, with the intent to diagnose its own
dynamic identity.
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Direction
Old
building
Figure 11. Body C2 (upper floor). Location of sensors after
performing the strengthening by extension.
As it can be observed, before strengthening the records put to
evidence a large frequency band, after the strengthening
process the records showed a narrow band of frequencies, so
one can speak of an elastic and homogeneous behavior on
both directions, in ambient vibration conditions. The obtained
frequencies and mode shapes were determined for small
amplitude vibrations and, therefore, indicate the structural
behavior in the range of linear response.
In Table 1 the evolution of the fundamental eigenperiods/
eigenfrequencies of vibration after performing the complex
instrumental program, before and after the retrofitting of the
building, is synthetically presented.
New
retrofitted
building
L
T
Torsion
L
T
Torsion
Fundamental eigenvalues
Eigenfrequency Eigenperiod
(Hz)
(s)
1.90
0.53
2.05
0.49
2,80
0.36
2.62
0.38
3.07
0.33
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Eigenmodes of vibration
1
2
3
4
5
0.24 1.10 2.44 3.03 4.88
4.14 0.91 0.41 0.33 0.20
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CONCLUSIONS
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]