A Data-Driven Approach to Structural Health Monitoring of Bridge Structures Based on the Discrete Model and FFT-Deep Learning

TLDR: This research investigates changes in the mechanical properties of complex structures using a combination of the discrete model, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis and deep learning, and applies deep learning in the noise reduction process for the original data.

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate changes in the mechanical properties of complex structures using a combination of the discrete model, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis and deep learning. The first idea from this research utilizes the discrete model from a perspective that is different from the finite element method (FEM) of previous works. As the method in this paper only models the mechanical properties of structures with finite degrees of freedom instead of dividing them into smaller elements, it reduces error in evaluation and produces more realistic results compared to the FEM model. Another advantage is how it allows the research to survey both parameters that affect the mechanical properties of structures—the overall stiffness (K) and the damping coefficient (c)—during vibration, while previous researches focus only on one of these two parameters. The second idea is to use FFT analysis to increase the sensitivity of the signal received during vibration. FFT analysis simplifies calculations, thereby reducing the effect of noise or errors. The sensitivity achieved in FFT analysis increases by 25% compared to traditional Fourier Transform (FT) analysis; moreover, the error in FFT analysis compared to experimental results is quite small, less than 2%. This shows that FFT is a suitable method to identify sensitive characteristics in evaluating changes in the mechanical properties. When FFT is combined with the discrete model, results are much better than those of several existing approaches. For the last idea, the manuscript applies deep learning (FFT-deep learning) in the noise reduction process for the original data. This makes the results much more accurate than in previous studies. The results of this research are shown through the monitoring of spans of the Saigon Bridge—the biggest and most important bridge in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam—during the past 11 years. The correspondence between the theoretically obtained result and the experimental one at the Saigon Bridge suggests a new area for development in evaluating and forecasting structural changes in the future.