Damage detection tests of five-story steel frame with simulated damages

This paper presents damage detection tests of five-story steel frame with simulated damages. We discuss pre-analytical study and results of experiments. Fiber brag grating (FBG) sensors, accelerometers, strain gauges and laser displacement meters are installed in this test frame. We assume damages by removing studs from only one story, loosening bolts of beams, cutting part of beams and extracting braces from only one story. From the results of pre-analytical study, we can estimate which story is damaged from the change of natural period and mode shape to some extent. We applied flexibility method which is one of a damage identification methods using modal properties. We also apply flexibility method to results of experiments. In some cases we can estimate which story is damaged, and in other cases we cannot. We also applied a method using multiple natural frequency shifts. Making use of the change in five natural frequencies due to damage, the location of damaged stories can be pinpointed. In both methods, we cannot identify damaged story in some cases. Some method other than methods using modal properties have to be tried to apply in such cases.