Utilization of Strong Motion Accelerometers for Real Time Monitoring of Structural Properties

Motion detecting instruments have been used to record seismic motions of the ground, buildings, and bridges for many years. More recently, interest has grown in using this instrumentation for monitoring the state of health of a structure without the need of a "triggering seismic event." Structural damage will result in permanent changes in structural stiffness. These changes may be detected through structural monitoring. The use of vibrational monitoring is a field of structural analysis that is capable of assisting in both detecting and locating structural damage. The work presented in this paper is aimed at better understanding the variability in dynamic properties so that structural changes can be correctly interpreted if outlying data is recorded.