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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

The Lecture Contains:

Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Concept of Smart Structure

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

Materials are evolving today at a rate faster than any other time in the history of civilization. The emergence of new and improved
materials, their processing and the development of a newer area of specialization known as Materials Design are stimulating
innovation in all the walks of life making new designs for efficient systems and structures.

Development and exploitation of new materials like high performance composites, new engineering ceramics, high strength
polymers and super alloys are providing better alternatives in terms of enhanced functionality and energy efficient systems with
improved safety and reliability at a competitive price. Advent of smart and intelligent materials together with advances in
processing technologies such as tape casting and screen printing, improvement in sensing and actuation technologies and their
successful miniaturization and integration to composite structures along with developments in the field of real time data
acquisition and information processing are likely to change the scenario in the most dramatic fashion in days to come.

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

Composites are fast gaining attention as structural materials due to overriding advantages over conventional metallic structures.
Owing to their high specific strength and stiffness and very good corrosion and fatigue properties, they are increasingly being
used in the design of light weight aerospace, automobile and civil structures. Further, there is an increasing application of
advanced composites in varied fields such as marine structures, turbine blades, automobile bodies etc. This increase in usage of
composites has raised the necessity for evaluating the in-service performance of such structures.

Due to greater complexity of design, high operational loads and longer lifetime, composite structures are prone to unpredicted
failures. Present day non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, such as ultrasonic testing, acoustic emission, eddy current
method, radiography and thermography etc., primarily meant for metallic materials are not always very effective for composites
because of inherent micro-mechanical complexities. Further, these methods require specialized equipments and skilled
manpower. Many times, in-situ evaluation or evaluation on real time basis is not possible. Anisotropy of composites, conducting
properties of the fibers, insulative nature of the matrices and unintentional impact damages beneath the surface which are barely
visible (BVID) make the damage prediction still more difficult and challenging in composites. These damages may cause a
change in strain / stress state of the structure. and hence, its characteristics. By continuously monitoring one or more response
quantities causing these changes, it is possible to assess the condition of the structure for its structural integrity. Such a
monitoring of the structure is generally known as Structural Health Monitoring. Health monitoring applications have received great
deal of attention all over the world due to its significant impact on safety and longevity of the structures.

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

Damages like matrix cracking, delamination, debonding or fiber breakage in composite structures are unavoidable during service
life time due to impact or continual load, chemical corrosion and aging, change of ambient conditions, etc. Many times, it is not
feasible to take the structure out of use (such as buildings, bridges and other big structures). Further, the lack of global integration
capability of the present day non-destructive evaluation methods result in longer downtime, inconvenience and enhanced cost of
maintenance. Real time damage detection and health monitoring in such cases have become one of the main areas of focus
today. In recent years efforts have been made at developing structures that can sense and control their own damage by using a
network of distributed sensors and actuators. With the improvement in sensing and actuation technologies and their availability in
the form of sensor patches e.g. PZT patches, PVDF films, magnetostrictive materials like Terfenol-D in the form of thick films or in
particulate form and the feasibility of embedding them into or bonding those to composite structures is leading to growth of a new
concept known as smart / intelligent structure. This concept is emerging to be attractive for potential high performance structural
applications and other critical and advanced applications.

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

In this course, three different techniques for health monitoring and damage detection of composite structures have been
considered. Initially, piezoelectric sensors and actuators like PVDF films bonded to composite laminate are considered for active
vibration control and damage detection. Later, magnetostrictive (MS) material like Terfenol-D in particulate form embedded in one
of the layers of composite laminate is considered for damage detection. Lastly, experimental modal analysis of composite
laminate is carried out on Laser Doppler Scanning Vibrometer to record vibration signatures of the structure which is used in non-
contact sensing of structural damages.

Piezoelectric materials develop electric charge on application of mechanical stress (the direct effect) and get strained due to
the application of an electric potential (the converse effect).

Magnetostrictive materials display similar direct and converse effect between mechanical and magnetic field. Shape memory
alloys deform during a phase charge from matersite to austenite states. This phase transition may be caused due to stress or
temperature leading to volumetric changes in the material. The electro-rheological fluids are a class of specially formulated
suspensions which undergo a charge in viscosity in the presence of applied electric field and modify the rheological behavior of
carrier fluid. The shape memory alloys and electro-rheological fluids are mainly used for actuation purposes such as vibration and
noise control while the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials are used for both sensors and actuation.

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

Piezoelectric materials are widely used as sensors in different environments. Lead zirconate Titanate (commonly known as PZT)
is the most prominent piezoelectric material as it could operate at a much higher temperature and posses stronger piezoelectric
effect relative to ferroelectric ceramics of other compositions.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is the most popular piezoelectric polymer material for impact sensors. The present day
development in smart structural technology is mainly centered around these two materials.

Magnetostrictive materials (MS) are a new class of materials which offer lifelong non contact sensing capability with fairly sturdy
performance. With the commercial availability of the MS materials such as Terfenol-D in particulate form, it is now feasible to
develop embedded particulate sensors to detect damage with minimum effect on structural integrity. In this course, the response
of the MS layer at the onset of delamination is analyzed with the aim to formulate a model to sense delamination in the composite
laminate and to bring out the effect of material properties, lamination schemes and placement of MS layer on it. Numerical
analysis shows that the MS material embedded to the composite structures in particulate form present viable non-contact
damage detection and sensing alternative on lifelong basis.

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

Damage in a structure is also characterized by changes in eigen parameters, i.e., natural frequency, damping factor and the
mode shapes associated with each natural frequency. Experimental modal analysis of composite laminates is performed using
Laser Doppler Scanning Vibrometer to record vibration signatures of healthy and delaminated specimen to predict delamination.
The experimental modal analysis is conducted on composite plates with different ply orientations in fixed-free boundary condition
using dynamic excitation at the center of the plate by an electro-dynamic shaker. All the delaminated specimen show distinct
decrease in the natural frequencies in comparison to the healthy ones except in case of cross ply laminate where only a marginal
change is observed. Damping losses for different modes are also determined. A standard FEM Package ‘ABAQUS' is used for
modal analysis of healthy composite plates to verify the results of experimental modal analysis. A good agreement in natural
frequencies for different modes is seen for various ply orientations. Applicability of experimental modal analysis for active health
monitoring is discussed in this context.

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Module 1: Overview of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Lecture 1: Introduction

It is important to detect the incipient damage at the first available signal to take necessary steps for the well being of the structure.
This needs to keep track of the changes in the stiffness and other significant mechanical properties of the critical members in a
structure in real time. Damage beyond a certain level will be a safety hazard and may invite downgrading of its use or even
abandoning of the structure.

To summarize, an overview of structural health monitoring of laminated composites using different sensing techniques has been
presented here. The suitability of PVDF and MS sensors for detecting damages in structures using time domain response of the
system is demonstrated via numerical modeling. A complete non-contact sensing of structural damage in frequency domain by
using Laser Doppler Scanning Vibrometer is demonstrated via experimental modal analysis. It is envisaged that by integrating all
these in-contact and non-contact techniques, a complete on-line and off-line health investigation process could be developed
which will lead to the use of high performance composites in advanced systems.

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