Real-time fast damage detection of shear structures with random base excitation

• Two damage detection methods for shear structures with random base excitation.
• Fast damage detection for real-time structural health monitoring.
• The methods have a strong anti-noise ability and high sensitivity on small damage.
• The methods do not require the numerical model.
• The methods avoid the error in the parameter identification process.

This paper validates the use of two jerk energy-based damage localization methods, proposed for the regular test with pulse excitation in earlier work, in real-time damage detection of shear structures with random base excitation. First, a 20-story shear structure numerical model is considered to provide numerical validation with random base excitation. Then, performance of the two methods in damage detection is experimentally validated through a laboratory-scale 6-story shear structure model. Both experimental and numerical results of single and multiple damage cases with different levels of stiffness loss indicate that the two jerk energy-based methods can also be used in real-time damage detection of shear structures with random base excitation. The two jerk energy-based methods perform well in the presence of high noise level; moreover, they are model-free that avoid establishing the structural finite element model and model updating.