Vibration based damage localization using MEMS on a suspension bridge model

In this paper the application of the Interpolation Damage Detection Method to the numerical model of a suspension bridge instrumented with a network of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System sensors is presented. The method, which, in its present formulation, belongs to Level II damage identification method, can identify the presence and the location of damage from responses recorded on the structure before and after a seismic damaging event. The application of the method does not require knowledge of the modal properties of the structure nor a numerical model of it. Emphasis is placed herein on the influence of recorded signals noise on the reliability of the results given by the Interpolation Damage Detection Method. The response of a suspension bridge to seismic excitation is computed from a numerical model and artificially corrupted with random noise characteristic of two families of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System accelerometers. The reliability of the results is checked for different damage scenarios.