The Analysis of Long-Term Frequency and Damping Wandering in Buildings Using the Random Decrement Technique

The characterization and monitoring of buildings is an issue that has attracted the interest of many sectors over the last two decades. With the increasing use of permanent, continuous and real-time networks, ambient vibrations can provide a simple tool for the identification of dynamic building parameters. This study is focused on the long-term variation of frequency and damping in several buildings, using the Random Decrement Technique (RDT). RDT provides a fast, robust and accurate long-term analysis and improves the reliability of frequency and damping measurements for structural health monitoring. This reveals particularly useful information in finding out precisely how far changes in modal parameters can be related to changes in physical properties. This paper highlights the reversible changes of the structure's dynamic parameters, correlated with external forces, such as temperature and exposure to the sun. Contrasting behaviors are observed, including correlation and anti-correlation with temperature variations.