Wavelet and Fourier Transforms in Health Monitoring of Embedded Structures

Abstract

Embedded structures are widely encountered in construction, such as anti-slide piles in a slope and reinforced concrete frames in a building. The embedded structures are vulnerable subjected to seismic effects. After the seismic load, the integrity of the embedded structures is weakened but the damage is unlikely to be directly observed by engineers

as a result, damage detection of an embedded structure is critical. In this study, the identification of the structural damage is investigated with Wavelet and Fourier transforms. With these two approaches, the structural signal in different frequency domain can be analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches in identifying the damage locations are compared. An outstanding advantage of the Wavelet transform is that it is able to identify the damage location, which makes this approach attractive for engineering practice. This advantage is exemplified by a cantilever beam finite element model.