A Data-Driven Damage Identification Framework Based on Transmissibility Function Datasets and One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks: Verification on a Structural Health Monitoring Benchmark Structure

Abstract

Vibration-based data-driven structural damage identification methods have gained large popularity because of their independence of high-fidelity models of target systems. However, the effectiveness of existing methods is constrained by critical shortcomings. For example, the measured vibration responses may contain insufficient damage-sensitive features and suffer from high instability under the interference of random excitations. Moreover, the capability of conventional intelligent algorithms in damage feature extraction and noise influence suppression is limited. To address the above issues, a novel damage identification framework was established in this study by integrating massive datasets constructed by structural transmissibility functions (TFs) and a deep learning strategy based on one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1D CNNs). The effectiveness and efficiency of the TF-1D CNN framework were verified using an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) structural health monitoring benchmark structure, from which dynamic responses were captured, subject to white noise random excitations and a number of different damage scenarios. The damage identification accuracy of the framework was examined and compared with others by using different dataset types and intelligent algorithms. Specifically, compared with time series (TS) and fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based frequency-domain signals, the TF signals exhibited more significant damage-sensitive features and stronger stability under excitation interference. The utilization of 1D CNN, on the other hand, exhibited some unique advantages over other machine learning algorithms (e.g., traditional artificial neural networks (ANNs)), particularly in aspects of computation efficiency, generalization ability, and noise immunity when treating massive, high-dimensional datasets. The developed TF-1D CNN damage identification framework was demonstrated to have practical value in future applications.