An automated structural health monitoring system developed for Ekaterinburg Arena

Abstract

Introduction. The paper presents those essential Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) implementation details that have not been sufficiently documented in Russian national guides or regulations. The study aims to systematize and share the experience of applying the previously developed SHM theoretical principles to the existing large-span unique sports facility Ekaterinburg Arena. The paper provides information about determining monitored structural elements, instrumentation alignment, and monitoring parameters’ threshold value. Materials and methods. The long-term SHM system of the large-span structure of the Arena is organized around hardware and software for processing the data constantly incoming from tiltmeters, strain gauges, accelerometers, a motorized total station, and a weather station. Results. A unified information system for automated SHM of the Arena has been created. It comprised modules for data acquisition, high-performance databases for storing metrics, metadata, and the project information, services for evaluating and visualizing structural parameters, components for the instrumentation self-diagnosis, an application development interface for sophisticated data analysis, and a 3D model of the structure. Engineering methods for evaluating the initial values of the controlled parameters and their thresholds acceptable for regular operation are proposed. The technique of calculating internal forces based on the strain gauge data with a redundant measurement pattern has been tested. Conclusions. The obtained monitoring results have become a valuable source of initial data for developing automated methods for detecting and locating damages in structures, improving structural analysis and design methods, predictive maintenance, surveys, and solving other knowledge-intensive tasks. Applying the SHM theoretical principles to the real structure can significantly contribute to developing the current immature scientific and regulatory framework for implementing similar monitoring systems at complicated construction facilities.