A substructure approach is used to estimate the stiffness and damping coefficients of structures from measurement of dynamic responses. The structures are decomposed into smaller subsystems for which state and observation equations are formulated and solved by the method of extended Kalman filter with a weighted global iteration algorithm. Substructural identification methods with and without overlapping members are proposed. In both methods, the convergence of the structural parameters to the optimal values is improved significantly with less computation time as compared to a complete structural approach. Numerical simulation studies are performed for three types of structures, namely a shear building, a plane frame building and a plane truss bridge. The effects of measurement noise and response observations required for identification of system parameters are also investigated.

Estimation of structural parameters in time domain: A substructure approach

The problem of determining linear models of structures from seismic response data is investigated using ideas from the theory of system identification. The approach is to determine the optimal estimates of the model parameters by minimizing a selected measure-of-fit between the responses of the structure and the model. Because earthquake records are normally available from only a small number of locations in a structure, and because of noise in the records, it is necessary in practice to estimate parameters of the dominant modes in the records, rather than the stiffness and damping matrices of the linear model. A new algorithm is developed to determine the optimal estimates of the modal parameters. After tests with simulated data, the method is applied to a multi-storey building using records from the 1971 San Fernando earthquake in California. New information is obtained concerning the properties of the lower modes of the building and the time-varying character of the equivalent linear parameters.

Structural identification using linear models and earthquake records

In this article, the empirical mode decomposition method combined with the Hilbert spectrum method (EMD + HHT) is used to analyze the free-field ground motion and to estimate the global structural property of building and bridge structure through the measurement of seismic response data. The EMD + HHT method provides a powerful tool for signal processing to identify nonlinear and nonstationary data. Based on the decomposed ground-motion signal, the absolute input energy of each decomposed wave was studied (the fling step [pulselike wave] can be separated from the recorded near-fault ground motion). Through application of the EMD + HHT method to building and bridge seismic response data, the time-varying system natural frequency and damping ratio can also be estimated. Damage identification from seismic response data of buildings and bridges, particularly from the Chi-Chi earthquake data, is also described.

Manuscript received 31 July 2000.

Application of the Empirical Mode Decomposition-Hilbert Spectrum Method to Identify Near-Fault Ground-Motion Characteristics and Structural Responses

In this paper, an adaptive on-line parametric identification algorithm based on the variable trace approach is presented for the identification of non-linear hysteretic structures. At each time step, this recursive least-square-based algorithm upgrades the diagonal elements of the adaptation gain matrix by comparing the values of estimated parameters between two consecutive time steps. Such an approach will enforce a smooth convergence of the parameter values, a fast tracking of the parameter changes and will remain adaptive as time progresses. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm is shown by considering the effects of excitation amplitude, of the measurement units, of larger sampling time interval and of measurement noise. The cases of exact-, under-, over-parameterization of the structural model have been analysed. The proposed algorithm is also quite effective in identifying time-varying structural parameters to simulate cumulative damage in structural systems. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On-line identification of non-linear hysteretic structural systems using a variable trace approach

A self-starting multistage, time-domain procedure is presented for the identification of nonlinear, multi-degree-of-freedom systems undergoing free oscillations or subjected to arbitrary direct force excitations and/or nonuniform support motions. Recursive least-squares parameter estimation methods combined with nonparametric identification techniques are used to represent, with sufficient accuracy, the identified system in a form that allows the convenient prediction of its transient response under excitations that differ from the test signals. The utility of this procedure is demonstrated in a companion paper.

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M. L. Watson

Papers

Recursive Least-Squares Time Domain Identification of Structural Parameters