Damage detection on miniature AVLB bridge models

A miniature bridge model has been tested for damage detection using modal analysis. The model is used as an alternative testing scheme for the actual bridge, and is used to test different damage scenarios that cannot be applied to the actual bridge. Structurally similar to the actual bridge, the model bridge also demonstrates complex behavior, as a result, only two bending modes can be identified on the bridge model. By removing a center hinge pin, a damage scenario is created for testing a strain-energy based damage detection algorithm. Preliminary test results indicate that the algorithm can pick up the damage in certain modes. This paper shows the advantage of using models to improve damage detection algorithm for the AVLB.