Structural assessment under uncertain parameters via interval analysis

An efficient health monitoring system for damage detection in civil engineering structures using on-line monitoring data is being developed to identify any possible damage in short time. The present work is based on the treatment of uncertainties, which is one of the basic common difficulties faced when modelling structures. A methodology, based on interval analysis (IA) theory [R.E. Moore, Interval Analysis, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1966] applied to a numerical constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) [J.R. Casas, J.C. Matos, J.A. Figueiras, J. Vehí, O. García, P. Herrero, Bridge monitoring and assessment under uncertainty via interval analysis, in: Ninth International Conference On Structural Safety And Reliability—ICOSSAR2005, 2005. pp. 487–494], is implemented in the damage detection [J.R. Casas, J.C. Matos, J.A. Figueiras, J. Vehí, O. García, P. Herrero, Bridge monitoring and assessment under uncertainty via interval analysis, in: Ninth International Conference On Structural Safety And Reliability—ICOSSAR2005, 2005. pp. 487–494] and modelling system of a long-term monitoring project in order to achieve such an objective. An algorithm is being developed for using such methodology with the obtained data.Such methodology has been first checked in the laboratory with a simple reinforced concrete structure (loaded up to failure). The obtained results are useful for identifying the load where the structure presents changes in its behaviour. The majority of the structures present a linear elastic behaviour throughout their life. However, they tend to deteriorate; such degradation reflects on results obtained from the long term monitoring system. Structural assessment was successfully performed in this case, enabling its application to real structures.