Structural Health Monitoring of Steel Garage Model with Stochastic Subspace Identification–Covariance Variance Analysis

Traditional methods of determining structural dynamic parameters produce destructive and unreliable results. Therefore, in this study, operational modal analysis method, which is a non-destructive and advanced method, was used to determine structural dynamic parameters. In this study, the dynamic parameters of the steel garage model were determined by the operational modal analysis (OMA), method and the current status of the structure was evaluated. The finite element model (FEM) of the steel garage was created with SAP2000 software, and then the experimental data were analyzed with Artemis Modal Pro software. When the FEM and OMA results were compared, it was seen that the frequency values obtained for the first five modes were quite close. When the damping ratios were examined, significant differences were detected between the theoretical and experimental values in some modes. It was determined that using the experimental damping ratios instead of the constant damping ratio assumed in the FEM would give more accurate results. Provided that the modeling and measurement stages are carried out meticulously, the operational modal analysis method as a non-destructive testing method is recommended to be used to obtain dynamic parameters in structures similar to the steel garage model.