Multiple Camera-Based Digital Twin Creation and Dynamic Earthquake Simulation of Historical Masonry Minarets

In recent years, video camera-based structural health monitoring has emerged as a viable method. With advanced cameras and software systems, achieving accurate results has become easier, and the accuracy rates of the obtained results have increased. In this study, a monitoring system composed of industrial cameras was developed. This system, consisting of four cameras, captured images from the minaret of Fatih Büyük Mosque, and displacement values were obtained through analysis. Using these displacement values, the structure’s frequencies and mode shapes were determined using the enhanced frequency domain decomposition method. A digital twin of the structure was created using the finite-element method, and frequency values were validated through modal analysis. Spectrum analysis identified the regions of stress accumulation. Finally, an earthquake simulation was conducted using the material properties obtained from optimization. The innovative aspect of this study lies in the use of a multiple camera system to focus on different points of the minaret, functioning like a sensor to perform nondestructive measurements. This approach enables detailed and precise displacement measurements without physically touching the structure, thus preserving its integrity. This study contributes to the literature on video-based systems used to obtain the frequencies and mode shapes of structures, with a particular focus on the structural health monitoring of historical masonry minarets. By doing so, it also makes a significant contribution to the preservation of historical structures.