To ensure the safety and functionality of the structure, maintaining the integrity of the structure via continuous structural health monitoring is important. But, most structural integrity monitoring methods proposed to date are based on modal responses which require the extracting process and have limited availability.
This paper presents the applicability of the existing damage identification method based on slope responses to time-domain deflection shapes. Since the proposed method directly utilizes the time-domain responses of the structure, the extracting process for modal responses can be avoided, and the applicability of structural health evaluation can be enhanced.
The slope responses to damage detection are extracted from the 3-axis accelerometer. Accelerometers are sensitive to both linear acceleration and the local gravitational field.
This paper note documents the mathematics of orientation determination using a three-axis accelerometer. A damage index, utilized to identify possible location of damage, is expressed in terms of strain energy that can be obtained from the slope responses of the undamaged and the damaged structures.
The possible damage locations in the structure are determined by the application of damage indicators according to previously developed decision rules. The accuracy and feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated using numerical and experimental data.