Videogrammetric technique for three-dimensional structural progressive collapse measurement

•Videogrammetry is an alternative technique for structural progressive collapse.•Sub-millimeter is achieved for absolute accuracy and relative accuracy.•Increase efficiency of elliptic targets detection and tracking.•High-frequency noise is eliminated by Savitzky–Golay filter.•Collisions and fractures are directly reflected by motion parameters.

In order to solve the shortcomings of the traditional transducers for monitoring the structural progressive collapse, this paper proposes to adopt the high-speed videogrammetric measurement technique to monitor the structural progressive collapse. First, the videogrammetric hardware components are presented. Second, three key issues about the stereo videogrammetric technique are studied in the paper, including camera calibration and placement, movable network control and tracking targets layout and image sequences processing. At last, three different kinds structural progressive collapse of five-story reinforced concrete frame-wall are performed, and the absolute accuracy of 0.43 mm, 0.87 mm and 0.65 mm and the relative accuracy of 0.61 mm, 0.29 mm and 0.62 mm are achieved in the X, Y and Z direction. The results show that the non-contacted videogrammetry is an alternative technique to monitor the structural progressive collapse.