Masoud Sanayei

Tufts University | Tufts · Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Transfer learning techniques for structural health monitoring in bridge-type structures are investigated, focusing on model generalizability and domain adaptation challenges. Finite element models of bridge-type structures with varying geometry were simulated using the OpenSeesPy platform. Different levels of damage states were introduced at the mi...

Condition assessment, model updating, and basic studies of large and complex structures subjected to static and dynamic loadings necessitate establishing a reasonably low order model to enhance computational efficiency. An essential requirement for the development of a low-order model is to preserve the main characteristics of the full-scale model...

In operational modal analysis, the observability and quality of the extracted modal parameters, apart from the characteristics of structures, loads, and noise, largely depend on the data acquisition system. Especially in large-scale structures, because of the low frequency- and low amplitude of vibration, the configuration and arrangement of the se...

In recent years, the construction of the overtrack building complexes including offices, schools, residences, stores, and restaurants above metro depots has increased in China. Train-generated vibration transmits through ground columns into and across transfer structures into the building's columns and upper floors. The vibration has the potential...

Structural modal identification is time‐consuming for large‐scale structures with continuous data recordings and long‐term data collections. This paper proposes an automated three‐step procedure to simplify the identification and monitoring of modal parameters. In the first step, the recorded data are divided into small segments and evaluated in en...

Frequent train operations in metro depots can have adverse effects on the buildings’ occupants in terms of feelable vibration and noise. A method is proposed to predict vibration transmissions from columns into girders and subsequently into the floors. This method is quite efficient in modeling and computation, saving engineers time and computation...

Structural health monitoring of complex structures is often limited by restricted accessibility to locations of interest within the structure and availability of operational loads. In this work, a novel output-only virtual sensing scheme is proposed. This scheme involves the implementation of the modal expansion in an augmented Kalman filter. The p...

In this paper, the performance of a super-tall tower is evaluated through Milad Tower in Tehran, Iran, as a case study. The structure is a 435 meters tall telecommunication tower and is structurally studied in this paper. For this purpose, linear endurance time (ET) method and time history (TH) analysis are used to compare the results and focus on...

Civil engineering structures grow more complex as engineers push innovation boundaries. Load complexity, costs, construction and maintenance efficiency, among other things, can lead to unique designs that are often excluded in current design codes and evaluation standards. Fatigue-induced damage is currently one of the most common damage types expe...

Structural model updating and parameter estimation by sensitivity-based methods are studied by many researchers. Extraction of accurate sensitivity relations have great impacts on parameter estimation accuracy. In this paper, assumptions made by different researchers and performance of the function-weighted frequency response function sensitivities...

Recent research on structural health monitoring has shown the applicability of Kalman filtering for fusion of models and data of dynamic systems. In this study, the augmented Kalman filter (AKF) is combined with a substructuring approach for the estimation of strain time histories at unmeasured locations of a rollercoaster connection, with the purp...

Rollercoasters are challenging structures. Although the ever-changing geometry can guarantee a thrilling ride, the complexity of loading patterns due to the intricate geometry make testing and analysis of these structures challenging. Fatigue-induced damage is one of the most common types of damage experienced by civil engineering structures subjec...

Structural identification using physics-based models and subsequent prediction have much potential to enhance civil infrastructure asset-management decision-making. Interpreting monitoring information in the presence of multiple uncertainty sources and systematic bias using a physics-based model is a computationally expensive task. The computationa...

Rapid growth and the urban development of Chinese megacity in recent decades have led to land utilization challenges and the need for over-track buildings above metro depots that are part of the subway systems in these cities. Frequent subway operations into and out of the depots, which generate excessive vibration that transmits into the over-trac...

This paper evaluates the ability of two different data-driven models to detect and localize simulated structural damage in an in-service bridge for long-term structural health monitoring (SHM). Strain gauge data collected over 4 years is used to characterize the undamaged state of the bridge. The Powder Mill Bridge in Barre, Massachusetts, U.S., wh...

This paper proposes a method to characterize bridge foundations using live load dynamic strain and acceleration measurements taken from substructure elements during operational loading. These measurements are used to assemble frequency response functions (FRFs) that describe the load-response behavior of the tested foundation element as a function...

When an existing bridge is being considered for replacement due to a deteriorated or obsolete superstructure, the foundation may still have significant functional value. Reuse of these foundations during bridge replacement or widening can present significant cost and time savings over constructing new elements. The potential time savings associated...

Fatigue-induced damage is one of the most common types of damage experienced by civil engineering structures subjected to cyclic loading such as bridges. The applicability of multiaxial nonproportional fatigue life assessment is shown using strain measurements collected from a welded gussetless truss connection of a vertical-lift bridge. Methods fo...

Real-time fatigue health monitoring has the potential to serve as a valuable complement to structural health monitoring (SHM) for bridge inspections. SHM is an objective supplement to visual bridge inspections with a minimum interval between bridge inspections at 24 months. SHM can provide quantitative and objective data on a bridge’s fatigue condi...

High cycle fatigue is a major cause of cracking in steel structures subjected to cyclic loading. It can result in substantial financial losses and structural failures compromising the safety of users. Uniaxial methods are in many cases insufficient for large in-service structures with complex geometry and connections subjected to multiaxial non-pro...

Reuse of bridge foundations often requires determining the capacity of existing foundations, including driven piles. These piles have a proven history of load-carrying capacity but may lack test data from which the capacity can be obtained. In general, pile capacity can be estimated from the pile geometry and soil properties using empirical calcula...

An objective, data-driven approach to evaluate the performance of bridges for developing a structural health monitoring system is introduced as bridge behavior. A method of identifying structural damage through the evaluation of response data from an instrumented bridge is proposed. Strains during operational traffic events at the Powder Mill Bridg...

Foundations of existing highways and over-river bridges may have significant functional value. Hence, reuse of foundations of existing bridges during reconstruction or major rehabilitation can result in significant savings in costs and time. This report on bridge foundation reuse addresses critical issues encountered during decision-making on found...

In recent years, the exploitation of over-track construction in populated Chinese cities has resulted in buildings being subjected to potentially disturbing vibrations from rail lines in metro depots. Building owners and engineers are concerned about occupants’ complaints related to structure-borne noise and vibration related to human comfort. Simi...

Superstructures of highway bridges are load rated regularly as a part of the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). It is well known that the load-carrying capacity of a superstructure is affected by foundation movements; however, the current load rating framework does not explicitly include these effects. In the current framework, foundation...

There are great economic incentives motivating the reuse of existing bridge foundations when obsolete, deficient, or deteriorated superstructures are replaced or retrofitted. In many cases, these foundations still have significant functional values. Substantial time and cost savings can be realized when existing foundations are reused, and any capa...

Transit-oriented development, such as metro depot and over-track building complexes, has expanded rapidly over the last 5 years in China. Over-track building construction has the advantage of comprehensive utilization of land resources, ease of commuting to work, and provide funds for subway construction. But the high frequency of subway operations...

Steel bridges play an important role in the transportation system of many countries. To ensure that bridges are structurally sound, engineers monitor their performance, which is known as structural health monitoring. Historical evidence indicates that bridge damage is pervasive and that the service life of bridges is decreasing. To manage safety an...

There are great economic incentives motivating the reuse of existing foundations when deteriorated and damaged superstructures are replaced. The increasing reuse of existing bridge foundations warrants investigation into verifying foundation performance and condition of in service bridge foundations. A method is proposed which characterizes the loa...

Fatigue service life of steel bridges subjected to cyclic live loads was studied using operational strain measurements of a full-scale bridge. Fatigue fracture can be brittle and sudden, potentially leading to catastrophic bridge collapse. A service-life index and function were proposed for determination of the ultimate service life and remaining s...

An experimental verification of a parameter estimation algorithm for finite-element (FE) model updating for damage quantification of a concrete beam with extensive damage is presented using the measured frequency response function (FRF) data. The intact stage of the beam and four progressive damage stages are investigated to update the FE model to...

This paper presents a comparison of three methods used to load rate the Powder Mill Bridge based on the load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) approach. This is a typical three-span continuous bridge with steel girders in composite action with the RC bridge deck. The three methods are as follows: (1) employing the conventional design office load...

In major cities around the world, urbanization and rising land prices have been driving an increase in real estate development adjacent to, and above in many cases, railway lines and other transportation corridors. Structure-borne sound and vibrations from traffic can be are annoying to human occupants; if high, they can also be disruptive to opera...

Recent developments in instrumentation, modeling, and data collection have advanced the state of the art in structural health monitoring in many engineering areas. However, the application of these developments in civil engineering infrastructure still presents some challenges. With approximately 11% of the bridges in the USA classified as structur...

A frequency response function based parameter estimation method is used for finite element model calibration of a full-scale bridge utilizing measured dynamic test data. Dynamic tests are performed on the bridge to obtain measured frequency response functions. Data quality is ensured by comparing measured data with the finite element model and remo...

Buildings located close to transportation corridors experience structure-borne sound and vibration due to passing traffic which can be disruptive to operation of sensitive equipment in manufacturing, and medical facilities. Structure-borne sound and vibrations, when high may also be annoying to human occupants in residential, office, and commercial...

Instrumentation of bridge structures provides a stream of data representing operational structural response under loading. The authors define the term bridge signature as the expected response of a particular bridge under loading, as measured by different instruments. In this research, the authors propose a new method to develop and evaluate a brid...

A frequency-response function-based parameter-estimation method was used for finite-element (FE) model calibration of a full-scale bridge using measured dynamic test data. Dynamic tests were performed on the bridge to obtain measured frequency-response functions. Data quality was ensured by comparing measured data with the FE model and removing err...

The future of highway infrastructure in the United States is at a critical junction. Nearly one-third of U.S. bridges are nearing the end of their design life, and one in ten bridges is categorized as structurally deficient. While the design and construction of the next generation of U.S. highway bridges is underway, existing bridges must be mainta...

SUMMARYA new method is presented for finite element model (FEM) updating using frequency response functions and numerical sensitivities. The proposed method differs from methods currently in the literature by using numerical sensitivities to solve the inverse problem instead of analytical sensitivities. This method combines the usefulness of commer...

A frequency-response function–based parameter-estimation method was used for finite-element (FE) model calibration of a full-scale bridge using measured dynamic test data. Dynamic tests were performed on the bridge to obtain measured frequency-response functions. Data quality was ensured by comparing measured data with the FE model and removing err...

Surface train and subway-induced vibrations have been a concern in buildings located in the vicinity of railway lines. Operation of sensitive equipment in laboratories and precision manufacturing facilities can be affected by undesired levels of building vibration. New residential building developments in proximity to railway lines have been in que...

The 2007 collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota led to additional load rating requirements for gusset plates. The Federal Highway Administration provided the direct tension and block shear methods to assess tensile capacity for use in load rating, as well as a mechanics based method to assess shear capacity on critical planes. Howev...

Experimental validation of a new model updating method is presented for structural mass and stiffness estimation using vibration data. The method uses transfer functions for finite element model updating via a quasi-linear sensitivity equation of the structural response. Excitation frequencies are selected in the most sensitive ranges of transfer f...

Buildings that are located near transportation corridors often experience floor vibrations induced by passing trains or traffic, which causes building owners some concern. In this paper, a mathematical, impedance-based (wave propagation) model is presented for predicting train-induced floor vibrations in buildings. The model analytically predicts v...

Buildings in major cities may be affected by vibrations from many sources such as trains, and subways. These ground-born vibrations are received at the building foundations and propagate up throughout the structures. The prediction of building floor vibrations plays an important role in the design of buildings for human comfort, the operation of se...

Structural health monitoring using field measurements has developed into a major research area, responding to an increasing demand for evaluating the integrity of civil engineering structures. Model updating through parameter estimation is a key tool in a successful structural health monitoring program. A method for parameter estimation is develope...

Laboratory and manufacturing facilities are frequently located in areas that experience high-frequency (greater than 30 Hz) environmental vibration. Such vibrations are a concern for the proper functioning of sensitive laboratory devices, precision manufacturing equipment as well as human comfort. A simple method to accurately predict the magnitude...

A baseline finite element model was developed for bridge management and calibration using nondestructive test data. The model calibration technique was evaluated on the Vernon Avenue Bridge over the Ware River in Barre, Massachusetts. This newly constructed bridge was instrumented throughout its construction phases in preparation for a static truck...

The Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge carries US Route 1 across the Mystic River, connecting the city of Chelsea and the Charlestown section of Boston, Massachusetts. Construction on the bridge began in 1948 and it was opened to traffic in 1950. The Tobin Bridge is a critical link in the network of Boston area highways, connecting metropolitan Bosto...

A frequency-response function–based parameter-estimation method was used for finite-element (FE) model calibration of a full-scale bridge using measured dynamic test data. Dynamic tests were performed on the bridge to obtain measured frequency-response functions. Data quality was ensured by comparing measured data with the FE model and removing err...

A method is presented to detect changes in stiffness and mass parameters of a structure using strain data in the frequency domain. Sensitivity of the strain-based frequency response function is characterized as a function of the changes in stiffness, mass, and damping at the element level. The transfer function of a damaged structure is approximate...

Instrumentation, structural modeling, and model updating are incorporated into the design and construction process of a multi-span bridge to change the paradigm of traditional bridge design to a long-term bridge design. A continuous three span composite steel stringer bridge in Barre, Massachusetts was used as a pilot bridge. A monitoring system wa...

A new method is developed for reducing train–induced floor vibrations in buildings. Vibration transmitted through building columns to the upper floors can be mitigated by considerably increasing the thickness of a lower floor, which is named the "blocking floor". This can be a desirable and inexpensive solution for vibration mitigation. The work pr...

This paper describes analytical structural models created for various components of the Tobin Memorial Bridge, and a program of instrumentation and non-destructive testing for the Little Mystic Span. A detailed global finite element model of the Little Mystic Span, one of the two truss spans, was developed along with supporting special studies of c...

A new method is presented for the finite element model updating of structures at the element level utilizing Frequency Response Function data. Response sensitivities with respect to the change of mass and stiffness parameters are indirectly evaluated using the decomposed form of the FRF. Solution of these sensitivity equations through the Least Squ...

A method is presented for structural mass and stiffness estimation including damping effects and using vibration data. It uses the frequency response function (FRF) and natural frequencies data for finite element model updating. The FRF data are compiled using the measured displacement, velocity or acceleration of the damaged structure. A least-squ...

This paper describes analytical structural models created for various components of the Tobin Memorial Bridge, and a program of instrumentation and non-destructive testing for the Little Mystic Span. A detailed global finite element model of the Little Mystic Span, one of the two truss spans, was developed along with supporting special studies of c...

One of the most promising fields of finite element model updating involves using data obtained from the modal response of a structure to update a finite element model. The University of Central Florida (UCF) has constructed a scale model of a two span bridge. Using an impact hammer and accelerometers mounted on the structure, the first 17 natural f...

A 4-story scale model building was designed and constructed for the purpose of predicting vibration levels at each floor. Mathematical models of column, beam, and slab elements were developed and combined, forming a system model. Each component of the scale model building was tested in order to validate their corresponding mathematical model. Measu...