Ambient modal identification of a primary–secondary structure by Fast Bayesian FFT method

The Mong Man Wai Building is a seven-storied reinforced concrete structure situated on the campus of the City University of Hong Kong. On its roof a two-storied steel frame has been recently constructed to host a new wind tunnel laboratory. The roof frame and the main building form a primary-secondary structure. The dynamic characteristics of the resulting system are of interest from a structural dynamics point of view. This paper presents work on modal identification of the structure using ambient vibration measurement. An array of tri-axial acceleration data has been obtained using a number of setups to cover all locations of interest with a limited number of sensors. Modal identification is performed using a recently developed Fast Bayesian FFT method. In addition to the most probable modal properties, their posterior uncertainties can also be assessed using the method. The posterior uncertainty of mode shape is assessed by the expected value of the Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC) of the most probable mode shape with a random mode shape consistent with the posterior distribution. The mode shapes of the overall structural system are obtained by assembling those from individual setups using a recently developed least-square method. The identification results reveal a number of interesting features about the structural system and provide important information defining the baseline modal properties of the building. Practical interpretation of the statistics of modal parameters calculated from frequentist and Bayesian context is also discussed.

► Modal identification of a field building is described.
► Modal identification is performed using a recently developed Fast Bayesian FFT method.
► Uncertainty of identified modal properties is discussed from a frequentist and Bayesian point of view.