Optimal Sensor Placement For Vibration Modal Tests Of Cable-Stayed Bridges

Structural damage identification based on vibration modal analysis has broad application prospects in the field of bridge for health monitoring, many scholars study on this. But its effectiveness is based on accuracy of modal testing, while the measurement locations and the number of transducers have a decisive effect on testing results. So the study about how to place alternative sensors on optimal locations can provide indemnity for the reliability of vibration modal testing data for cable-stayed bridges and can provide a strong support for dynamic anti-analysis.This paper discusses the development and the methods of optimal sensor placement and mainly studies two methods of optimal sensor placement in civil engineering often used. The first is effective independence algorithm and the second is cumulated method based on Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC), First establish the integral finite element model of the Badong Changjiang highway bridge and do an finite modal analysis to get vertical displacement model data, Then study some different optimal sensor placement in vibration modal testing of cable-stayed bridges by effective independence algorithm and MAC method.Though analyzing of the optimal result, the method which this paper introduced is reasonable and is easy to realize. It not only can provide theory foundation but also can bring convenience and shortcut realizing method for vibration modal testing of cable-stayed bridges, which has some practical applying value.