Finite element model updating of a small scale bridge

Although considerable experience has been gained in model updating, the critical issues that remain are the choice of parameters and how to deal with ill-conditioning. Although a number of theoretical tools exist to help with both of these tasks, the techniques are advancing by gaining experience with a diverse range of structures. This paper adds to this debate by updating an experimental bridge model with a geometric scale of 1:50 that represents a typical multi-span continuous-deck motorway bridge. The bridge has four identical straight spans and an irregular distribution of piers, and the central pier is shorter than the others. Four configurations corresponding to different pier stiffnesses and the inclusion of an isolation-dissipation device were considered. An initial test without the piers present was also performed. The measurement of data in these different configurations allows the model updating to be performed sequentially, where parameters identified in earlier configurations maintain their estimated values in subsequent configurations. This approach means that each configuration has a small number of uncertain parameters to be identified, leading to a set of well-conditioned estimation problems based on predicting four natural frequencies of the structure. The procedure was successful, and all of the measured natural frequencies were estimated accurately with a maximum error of under 2.5%.     

Structural damage identification for railway bridges based on train-induced bridge responses and sensitivity analysis

A damage identification approach using train-induced responses and sensitivity analysis is proposed for the nondestructive evaluation of railway bridges. The dynamic responses of railway bridges under moving trains composed of multiple vehicles are calculated by a train-bridge dynamic interaction analysis. Using the stiffness variation of the bridge element as an index for damage identification, the sensitivities of train-induced bridge responses to structural damage are analyzed and the sensitivity matrices are formed. By comparing the theoretical measurement responses of one measurement point in two different states, the damage indices of all elements are updated iteratively, and finally the absolute or relative damage is located and quantified. A three-span continuous bridge numerical example proves that the proposed dynamic response sensitivity-based FE model updating damage identification method is not only effective to detect local damage of railway bridges, but also insensitive to the track irregularity and the measurement noise.     

Structural model updating using incomplete transfer function of strain data

In this paper a model updating algorithm is presented to estimate structural parameters at the element level utilizing frequency domain representation of the strain data. Sensitivity equations for mass and stiffness parameters estimation are derived using decomposed form of the strain-based transfer functions. The rate of changes of eigenvectors and a subset of measured natural frequencies are used to assemble the sensitivity equation of the strain-based transfer function. Solution of the derived sensitivity equations through the least square method resulted in a robust parameters estimation method. Numerical examples using simulated noise polluted data of 2D truss and frame models confirm that the proposed method is able to successfully update structural models even in the presence of mass modeling errors.     

Damage identification in plates using finite element model updating in time domain

A response sensitivity-based approach is presented for identifying the local damages in isotropic plate structures from the measured structural dynamic responses. The local damage is simulated by a reduction in the elemental Young's modulus of the plate. In the forward analysis, the forced vibration responses of the plate under external force are obtained from Newmark direct integration. In the inverse analysis, a response sensitivity-based finite element model updating approach is used to identify local damages of the plate in time domain. The damage identification results are obtained iteratively with the penalty function method with Tikhonov regularization using the measured structural dynamic responses. Two numerical examples are investigated to illustrate the correctness and efficiency of the proposed method. Both single damage and multiple damages cases are studied. The effects of measurement noise and measurement point on the identification results are investigated. Studies in this paper indicate that the proposed method is efficient and robust for both single and multiple damages for plate structures. Good identified results can be obtained from the short time histories of a few number of measurement points.     

Structural damage measure index based on non-probabilistic reliability model

Uncertainties in the structural model and measurement data affect structural condition assessment in practice. As the probabilistic information of these uncertainties lacks, the non-probabilistic interval analysis framework is developed to quantify the interval of the structural element stiffness parameters. According to the interval intersection of the element stiffness parameters in the undamaged and damaged states, the possibility of damage existence is defined based on the reliability theory. A damage measure index is then proposed as the product of the nominal stiffness reduction and the defined possibility of damage existence. This new index simultaneously reflects the damage severity and possibility of damage at each structural component. Numerical and experimental examples are presented to illustrate the validity and applicability of the method. The results show that the proposed method can improve the accuracy of damage diagnosis compared with the deterministic damage identification method.     

The model updating based on near infrared spectroscopy for the sex identification of silkworm pupae from different varieties by a semi-supervised learning with pre-labeling method

Abstract

It is effective to accurately discriminate the sex of silkworm pupae with the same varieties based on near infrared spectroscopy. However, when the model is promoted to classify new varieties of silkworm pupae, the model’s performance becomes worse, due to the cultivation environment and varieties changing. In the aims of improving the generalization ability and accuracy of the model, this paper proposed a model updating strategy based on semi-supervised learning. First, support vector machine identification model was built after the original spectra was pretreated by Savitzky-Golay convolution smoothing operation, which could effectively reduce spectra noise. Then, the support vector machine model gave the pre-labelings of unlabeled silkworm pupae in the updated set, which were divided into male samples and female samples. According to the correlation coefficients that calculated by Pearson correlation coefficient and Euclidean distance, a total of 8 reliable samples were selected from the male and female samples, respectively. The reliable samples were added to the original training set to update the original model. Finally, the updated model was used to test the test sets from the varieties of silkworm pupae that were the same with updated sets.The results showed the performance of the non-updated model for silkworm pupae from the three new varieties just reached 54.55%, 68.52%, 86.84%, respectively. The support vector machine model updated by using Pearson correlation coefficient improved the accuracy to 100%, 96.30%, 97.37%, and the model updated by Euclidean distance increased the identification accuracy of the three varieties that were not involved in the modeling to 100%, 75.93%, 92.10% respectively. The results showed that the performance of the model updated by Pearson correlation coefficient was better than Euclidean distance. The results revealed that the method based on semi-supervised learning could effectively solve the problem of poor universality for sex identification model.     

Structural identification of metcars

The ground-state structure of the metcar Ti8C12 is investigated using first-principles computer simulations. Comparison with recent experimental data on the vibrational spectrum of gas phase Ti8C12 allows one to identify the geometrical structure of the clusters studied in the experiment. The present combination of predictive first-principles computer simulations and detailed experimental measurements of the vibrational spectra of clusters offers the first viable tool for structural identification of cluster shapes.     

Inverse substructure method for model updating of structures

Traditional model updating of large-scale structures is usually time-consuming because the global structural model needs to be repeatedly re-analyzed as a whole to match global measurements. This paper proposes a new substructural model updating method. The modal data measured on the global structure are disassembled to obtain the independent substructural dynamic flexibility matrices under force and displacement compatibility conditions. The method is extended to the case when the measurement is carried out at partial degrees-of-freedom of the structure. The extracted substructural flexibility matrices are then used as references for updating the corresponding substructural models. An orthogonal projector is employed on both the extracted substructural measurements and the substructural models to remove the rigid body modes of the free–free substructures. Compared with the traditional model updating at the global structure level, only the sub-models at the substructural level are re-analyzed in the proposed substructure-based model updating process, resulting in a rapid convergence of optimization. Moreover, only measurement on the local area corresponding to the concerned substructures is required, and those on other components can be avoided. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed substructuring method are verified through applications to a laboratory-tested frame structure and a large-scale 600 m tall Guangzhou New TV Tower. The present technique is referred to as the inverse substructuring model updating method as the measured global modal data are disassembled into the substructure level and then the updating is conducted on the substructures only. This differs from the substructuring model updating method previously proposed by the authors, in which the model updating is still conducted in the global level and the numerical global modal data are assembled from those of substructures. That can be referred to as the forward substructuring model updating method.     

Application of radiation modes to the problem of low-frequency noise from a highway bridge

Low-frequency noise radiated from highway bridges is a serious environmental problem in Japan. Although the suppression of bridge vibration as usually done in practice can alleviate the radiation, it may not be optimal because the behavior of radiation is not taken into consideration. Concept of radiation modes, which can represent both vibration and radiation behavior, is adapted to a highway bridge. The objectives of this paper are to study the benefits of using radiation modes in (1) identification of low-frequency noise characteristics and (2) active control of low-frequency noise radiation. Numerical study shows that the radiation modes enable radiation characteristics of low-frequency noise to be physically understood and the active controller designed by radiation modes is superior to the controller designed without considering radiation behavior. Because the concept of radiation modes can reveal the mechanics of radiation/vibration, it is appropriate to the problem of low-frequency noise radiated from highway bridges.     

Evolution by damage spreading in Kauffman model

In Kauffman's Boolean automata model on the square lattice, the Darwinian fitness of survival can be defined as the fraction of elements which do not change from one iteration to the next. Biological mutations are simulated by filpping one bit in the rule of one site. Selection of the fitter mutant then optimizes the whole lattice completely. This optimization is particularly effective near the critical point of the transition to chaos, but is in itself not a critical phenomenon. Also a two-dimensional spin glass can be optimized in this way.     

An improved model of ER fluids in squeeze-flow through model updating of the estimated yield stress

In the squeeze-flow mode of operation, electrorheological (ER) fluid is placed between two electrodes, which are free to translate in a direction roughly parallel to the direction of the applied electric field. Consequently, the ER fluid is subjected to alternate tensile and compressive strokes and shearing of the fluid also occurs. Available displacements are small but large forces are available from compact devices and there are many potential applications, notably in vibration isolation.The present authors have spent several years developing mathematical models to account for the observed behaviour of ER fluids in squeeze-flow. Previous attempts at modelling squeeze-flow behaviour have been partially successful but there have always been discrepancies. These discrepancies have generally been attributed to the difficulty of estimating the yield stress developed within the ER fluid when an electric field is applied.In the present paper, the authors describe a new approach in which the yield stress is determined iteratively by minimizing the difference between observed and predicted values of the transmitted force. Using this technique, force/displacement and force/velocity plots are predicted and compared with values from an experimental facility. It is shown that agreement between model predictions and experimental observation is excellent and significantly better than those obtained using existing models.     

雨天高速公路车辆换道模型研究

降雨使得路面附着系数和驾驶员视距降低, 容易造成交通事故, 影响道路通行效率. 为了研究雨天天气下车辆的换道行为, 引入反映降雨对换道行为影响的路面附着系数参数和驾驶员反应时间参数, 并进行量化分析, 由此使得安全距离随降雨强度和车辆速度的变化而变化, 在考虑前车和后车速度差对换道行为影响的基础上, 建立了雨天高速公路车辆换道模型. 仿真分析表明, 在中密度区雨天换道率与晴天相比有明显下降, 最大降幅约为25%; 且改进模型再现了自由流、自由流在无外因影响下形成动态拥堵流以及阻塞流下车辆时走时停的现象; 在中密度和高密度交通流中, 雨天更易引起交通拥堵, 其道路时空图中拥堵出现的频率和持续时间均相应增大, 且车辆以低速度行驶的时间较晴天天气下高许多.     

First identification of excited states in the N = Z nucleus 70Br

Excited states in the T_z = 0 nucleus ⁷⁰Br have been investigated using the reaction ⁵⁸Ni(¹⁶O,1p3n). % rays were detected with one EUROBALL CLUSTER detector and three single HPGe detectors. Charged particles and neutrons were registered with the Rossendorf silicon ball and six modules of the EUROBALL neutron wall, respectively. The identification of % transitions in ⁷⁰Br is based on the analysis of %%-proton-neutron coincidences. A level scheme of ⁷⁰Br has been established for the first time. It shows a multiplet-like structure of probably isospin T = 0 while T = 1 isobaric analogue states are not observed.     

高速公路入匝控制的一个元胞自动机模型

采用元胞自动机模型研究高速公路入匝控制问题. 利用主路上测定区域内的车辆数设计了一种新型入匝信号控制方法,模拟分析了各种参数对主路和匝道交通的影响. 结果表明,设置匝道信号灯可以保证主路交通畅通,尤其是匝道处的车辆到达率比较高时效果非常明显. 测定区域位置、抑制入匝车流量以及并道区长度的不同组合可以导致不同的主路和匝道交通流,合理搭配这三个参数可以兼顾主路和匝道的流量和通行时间.测定区域应该设置在并道段前或并道段上游的适当位置. 关键词： 交通流 元胞自动机 入匝控制 并道规则     

Initiation of damage in the Kauffman model

An alternate method is presented for initiating damage to the Kauffman model. A numerical study suggests that this modification increases the efficiency of generating damage clusters without changing their fractal properties.     

Structural model of eumelanin

Melanin is a ubiquitous pigment in living organisms with multiple important functions, yet its structure is not well understood. We propose a structural model for eumelanin protomolecules, consisting of 4 or 5 of the basic molecular units (hydroquinone, indolequinone, and its tautomers), in arrangements that contain an inner porphyrin ring. We use time-dependent density functional theory to calculate the optical absorption spectrum of the structural model, which reproduces convincingly the main features of the experimental spectrum of eumelanin. Our model also reproduces accurately other important properties of eumelanin, including x-ray scattering data, its ability to capture and release metal ions, and the characteristic size of the protomolecules.