Vibration-based Damage Detection: Identifying the damage in the bridge

Abstract

 This study investigates vibration-based damage detection techniques through controlled experiments on a model bridge. The experiment measured vertical accelerations under various load conditions and structural states to assess how damage influences natural frequencies. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis was employed to convert time-domain acceleration data into frequency spectra. The results indicate that load magnitude has minimal influence on the bridge’s primary frequency, whereas structural damage—such as cable rupture or mass imbalance—significantly reduces natural frequency. These findings demonstrate that vibration-based analysis provides a simple and effective means for identifying structural damage and assessing bridge safety. Furthermore, this approach offers potential for broader applications in structural health monitoring (SHM) across civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering. However, limitations related to sensor accuracy, environmental noise, and manual excitation highlight the need for standardized measurement systems and automated excitation methods in future studies.