Real-Time Hybrid Simulation for Degradation Assessment: Conceptual Framework and Illustrative Example

Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is a class of cyber-physical testing that enables the inexpensive testing of structural systems. In the current state of the art, the possibility of using RTHS to study the effects of long-term or wear-and-tear loads, such as exposure to harmful environmental conditions or fatigue, has remained underexplored. This work presents a conceptual framework to assess the impact of long-term degradation on infrastructure systems. The framework integrates the capabilities of RTHS with accelerated degradation techniques to evaluate the behavior of a degrading system over time. The experimental implementation of this RTHS framework will allow researchers to capture the effects of degradation at a system level and provide a reliability-based method to determine the expected time to failure of the studied system. The developed framework is demonstrated using a virtual RTHS platform designed to test fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators subjected to different levels of degradation.