Vibration-Based Damage Evaluation of a Reinforced Concrete Frame Subjected to Cyclic Pushover Testing

This research investigated the changes in vibration characteristics of a simple reinforced concrete (RC) frame subjected to incremental cyclic pushover testing as a basis for detection, quantification, and localization of damage in RC frames using vibration data obtained before and after a seismic event. A half-scale one-story one-bay plane frame was subjected to progressive damage through cyclic lateral loading to incrementally increasing drift ratios. Ambient and impact vibration tests were performed at each increment of drift ratio, and modal analyses of the acceleration responses obtained at seven locations on the frame were carried out with the acceleration responses measured at seven different locations on the frame to track changes in the dynamic characteristics. Linear degradation of the lowest two vibration frequencies was identified with increasing drift ratio, which was regarded as a promising result towards detection and quantification of damage. For localization, a flexibility-based damage localization procedure, the damage locating vector (DLV) approach, was explored. Localization results mostly agreed with the observed damage, and the approach was found to have potential for use in prioritizing the suspected damage locations in the structure for detailed inspections.