Earthquake Damage Detection in Buildings and Early Warning Based on Wave Travel Times

摘要：本项目的目标是开发一种新的结构健康远程监测方法，该方法在应用于实际结构和大振幅响应时具有鲁棒性，并使用全尺寸结构的数据进行校准。这个项目的重点将放在建筑上。该方法是基于检测地震波在结构中传播时的变化，这些地震波是由记录的振动响应的反卷积产生的虚拟源辐射的。该方法将使用已被地震损坏或可能被地震损坏的全尺寸建筑物的地震记录进行校准。此外，将探讨这种方法对一般状态监测的有效性。这种基于波的方法的主要优点是可以用相对较少的传感器来定位损伤，并且对土-结构相互作用和其他结构边界条件变化的影响不敏感。采用一种适用于真实结构和现场数据的经过验证的方法，将极大地促进地震后应急反应和恢复期间的决策，并将有助于减少地震造成的生命、伤害和金钱损失。例如，及时决定疏散不安全的建筑物，将减少由于余震造成的脆弱结构可能倒塌而造成的生命损失和伤害的风险。该方法具有对结构进行一般状态监测的能力，将成为管理老化基础设施的有用工具。该项目的成果将在技术期刊上广泛宣传和报道，以供信息传播。该项目还将通过培训正在撰写博士论文的研究生来加强该国的教育基础设施。

Abstract 0800399The objective of this project is to develop a novel methodology for remote structural health monitoring that is robust when applied to actual structures and large amplitude response, and is calibrated using data from full-scale structures. The focus of this project will be on buildings. The methodology is based on detecting changes in travel time of seismic waves propagating through the structure, that have been radiated by a virtual source created by de-convolution of recorded vibration response. The methodology will be calibrated using earthquake records from full-scale buildings that have been damaged or could have been damaged by an earthquake. Further, the effectiveness of this methodology for general condition monitoring will be explored. The major advantages of this wave-based method are that it can localize the damage with relatively small number of sensors, and that it is not sensitive to the effects of soil-structure interaction and changes in other structural boundary conditions.The availability of a validated methodology that works with real structures and field data will greatly facilitate the decision making during emergency response and recovery following an earthquake, and will help reduce loss of life, injuries and monetary losses caused by earthquakes. For example, a timely decision to evacuate an unsafe building will reduce the risk of loss of life and injuries caused by potential collapse of the weakened structure by its shaking from the aftershocks. The methodology, with capability for general condition monitoring of structures, will be a useful tool in managing the aging infrastructure. The results of this project will be broadly publicized and reported in technical journals for information dissemination. The project will also enhance the educational infrastructure of the nation by training a graduate student working on her/his Ph.D. thesis.