What is Structural Health Monitoring?
Turkey is located on one of the active earthquake zones of the world. The population intensity and industrial facilities are mostly in 1st grade earthquake zones. For that reason, it is among the priority issues for Turkey to develop measures to be taken against earthquake.
Real Time Structural Health Monitoring is one of the most up to date technologies in this field which generates unprecedented results. At the point where the technology has arrived in particular after 2000s, structural health monitoring has become accessible at suitable costs and has fastly become widespread.
Structural health monitoring means continuous or intermittent monitoring and analysis of important parameters of a building which are characterized as indicators. These parameters include cracks, strain, tilt and other static variables, as well as principally a dynamic monitoring, analysis and identification.
In general, with the accelerometers installed to the structure it is possible to measure the dynamic behavior, which is characterized as a signature of the structure, in a real time manner. Natural period, damping ratios, modal frequencies, mode shapes, natural modal frequencies and inter-storey drift ratios are included in this analysis. Thus, when the building is exposed to an earthquake, it is possible to recognize whether any change is experienced in these parameters which are characterized as indicators of the changes in the carrier system of the structure. Thereafter, the engineer and the decision makers are provided with the most important tool to be used for analyzing possible hidden or open damages in the building.
Besides, it is possible to perform this monitoring without creating any extra impact on the building, under the ambient vibration or environmental impacts which occur as a combination of such elements as wind, traffic, minor tectonic movements etc.
The method is not only sensitive against earthquake, but also against other excessive loads such as age, deep excavations in the vicinity, impacts of collusion and
explosion, disasters such as flood, and excessive snow burden.
Teknik Destek Grubu, as the only and leading manufacturer of these systems in Turkey, is also around a few respectable manufacturers in the world. With this identity, Teknik Destek Grubu has begun to provide solutions to different areas in the world.
NATURAL FREQUENCY MONITORING -SIGNATURE OF THE BUILDING-
The system monitors the natural frequencies of the structure This parameter changes only when there is an important change in the carrier system of the building The carrier system of the building may weaken depending on earthquake, deep excavation, fatigue and modifications. This is the state of the art technologic tool which assists in detecting the Open/ Hidden damages and decision making
WHY TO MONITOR THE HEALTH OF THE STRUCTURES?
Every civil engineering structure has a certain lifetime. Engineering science intends to find and apply the most suitable and economical solution. At the end, the structure will fail either due to an excessive loading (i.e. earthquake, flood, explosion, deep excavation etc.) or repeated loading (fatigue) or the end of the operational life.
While approaching to this end, one of the following options will be chosen:
(i) Either demolishing the structure controllably before the end of life without certain information,
(ii) or let the structure to choose to time that it will fail itself,
(iii) or monitoring the changes at the structure, trying to guess the time to failure and processing to perform repair and strengthening or demolishing it at the correct time with enough information and data.
First choice results in a big economic loss,
second results in a bigger economic loss and even loss of life.
Third one produces the most economical solution, prevents loss of life, and named as Structural Health Monitoring. (like: preventive medicine / medical check-up)
We prefer, advise and apply the 3rd option.
