Join us for this free, virtual seminar hosted by the EMI Dynamics Committee on July 2, 6 pm CET/12 Noon EDT. Register for the Zoom link.
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Vibration-based monitoring of existing concrete structures: recent findings and challenges
Abstract
In vibration-based monitoring, the aim is to assess the condition of a structure through its modal characteristics, typically a set of natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping ratios. In addition to these, recent research has also investigated strain mode shapes, which were shown to be more sensitive to local changes in stiffness, providing better damage detection capabilities. In this seminar, the potential and limitations of these techniques when applied to the assessment of existing concrete structures will be discussed. Two practical application cases are considered. First, laboratory tests on a set of reinforced concrete beams are discussed. In these tests, the beams were subjected to accelerated corrosion before being mechanically loaded in a cyclic fashion until failure. The evolution of the modal characteristics throughout the corrosion process as well as the mechanical loading is explained, with emphasis on practical implications for existing concrete structures. Second, a case study of a post-tensioned highway bridge built in the fifties is considered. Here, results of quasi-static and dynamic strain monitoring through a dense network of fibre optic sensors will be discussed. The seminar will conclude with a summary of the limitations and challenges in the application of vibration-based monitoring to existing concrete structures.
Biography
Geert Lombaert is since October 2017 full professor at the Department of Civil Engineering of KU Leuven, director of the Civil Engineering program at the Faculty of Engineering Sciences since August 2021 , and head of the Structural Mechanics Section since August 2024.
He obtained his MSc degree in July 1998 and PhD in December 2001, both from KU Leuven. From October 2003 until September 2009, he was a postdoctoral fellow of the Research Foundation – Flanders. In this period, he spent 7 months as a visiting researcher at Ecole Centrale de Paris in 2003 and 3 months at the University of California, San Diego in 2008.
His main research interests are environmental ground vibration due to traffic and construction, uncertainty quantification, structural health monitoring, input, state & parameter estimation, and structural optimization.