State of the Art in Automated Operational Modal Identification: Algorithms, Applications, and Future Perspectives

This paper presents a comprehensive review of automated modal identification techniques, focusing on various established and emerging methods, particularly Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI). Automated modal identification plays a crucial role in structural health monitoring (SHM) by extracting key modal parameters such as natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes from vibration data. To address the limitations of traditional manual methods, several approaches have been developed to automate this process. Among these, SSI stands out as one of the most effective time-domain methods due to its robustness in handling noisy environments and closely spaced modes. This review examines SSI-based algorithms, covering essential components such as system identification, noise mode elimination, stabilization diagram interpretation, and clustering techniques for mode identification. Advanced SSI implementations that incorporate real-time recursive estimation, adaptive stabilization criteria, and automated mode selection are also discussed. Additionally, the review covers frequency-domain methods like Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) and Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition (EFDD), highlighting their application in spectral analysis and modal parameter extraction. Techniques based on machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and artificial intelligence (AI) are explored for their ability to automate feature extraction, classification, and decision making in large-scale SHM systems. This review concludes by highlighting the current challenges, such as computational demands and data management, and proposing future directions for research in automated modal analysis to support resilient, sustainable infrastructure.