Energy damage detection strategy based on acceleration responses for long-span bridge structures

It is hopeful to detect damage in a fast and reliable way in order to increase the safety, extend the working life and reduce the maintenance cost of long-span bridges. Recently, more attention is being paid to dynamical damage detection techniques. The energy-based dynamical damage detection strategy is a novel topic in this field. In this paper, a damage detection strategy based on acceleration responses’ energy is proposed based on the relationship between the frequency response function (FRF) of acceleration responses and mode shapes. Numerical analysis on a long-span cable-stayed bridge is performed by using the proposed strategy and the traditional mode shape curvature strategy. Moreover, damage quantification analysis and robustness analysis for noise pollution are carried out. It can be shown from the analysis results that the acceleration responses’ energy-based damage detection strategy has not only accurate damage location ability but also excellent damage quantification ability and anti-noise pollution ability.