Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Damage assessment of tensegrity structures using piezo transducers

  • Published:
Meccanica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents the application of surface-bonded piezo-transducers for damage assessment of tensegrity structures through dynamic strain measurement and electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) technique. The two techniques are first applied on a single module tensegrity structure, 1 m×1 m in size and their damage diagnosis results compared. A single piezoelectric-ceramic (PZT) patch bonded on a strut measures the dynamic strain during an impact excitation of the structure. Damage is identified from the changes in global frequencies of the structure obtained from the PZT patch’s response. This is compared with the damage identified using the EMI technique, which is a signature based technique and operates at frequencies of the order of kHz. The dynamic strain approach, which requires commonly available hardware, is found to exhibit satisfactory performance vis-à-vis the EMI technique for damage assessment of tensegrity structures. The damage diagnosis exercise is then extended to a tensegrity grid structure, 2 m×2 m size, fabricated using galvanized iron (GI) pipes and mild steel wire ropes. The damage is localized using changes in natural frequencies observed experimentally using the dynamic strain approach and the corresponding mode shapes of the undamaged structure derived numerically. The dynamic strain approach is found to be very expedient, displays competitive performance and is at the same time cost effective for damage assessment of tensegrity structures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fuller RB (1962) Tensile integrity structures. United States patent No. 3:063:521

  2. Panigrahi R, Gupta A, Bhalla S (2009) Dismountable steel tensegrity grids as alternate roof structures. Steel Compos Struct 9:239–253

    Google Scholar 

  3. Motro R (2003) Tensegrity structural systems for the future. Kogan Page Science, London

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hanaor A, Levy R (2001) Evaluation of deployable structures for space enclosures. Int J Space Struct 16:211–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Tibert AG, Pellegrino S (2002) Deployable tensegrity reflectors for small satellites. J Spacecr Rockets 39:701–709

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Quirant J, Kazi-Aoual MN, Motro R (2003) Designing tensegrity systems: the case of a double layer grid. Eng Struct 25:1121–1130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Panigrahi R, Bhalla S, Gupta A (2009) A low-cost variant of electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique for structural health monitoring. Exp Tech 34:25–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Rhode BL, Ali NBH, Motro R (2010) Designing tensegrity modules for pedestrian bridges. Eng Struct 32:1158–1167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Motro R (2011) Structural morphology of tensegrity systems. Meccanica 46:27–40

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Panigrahi R, Gupta A, Bhalla S (2008) Design of tensegrity structures using artificial neural networks. Struct Eng Mech 29:223–235

    Google Scholar 

  11. Panigrahi R (2007) Development, analysis and monitoring of dismountable tensegrity structure. Ph.D. thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

  12. Hanaor A (1993) Double layer tensegrity grids as deployable structures. Int J Space Struct 8:135–143

    Google Scholar 

  13. Fest E, Shea K, Smith IFC (2004) Active tensegrity structure. J Struct Eng 130:1454–1465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Bhalla S, Gupta A, Shanker R, Sethi A, Jain S, Medury A (2009) Performance and condition monitoring of structures using discrete strain measurements. Int J COMADEM 12:2

    Google Scholar 

  15. Shanker R, Bhalla S, Gupta A, Kumar MP (2011) Dual use of PZT patches as sensors in global dynamic and local EMI techniques for structural health monitoring. J Intell Mater Syst Struct 22:1841–1856

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ikeda T (1990) Fundamentals of piezoelectricity. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bhalla S, Soh CK (2004) Electro-mechanical impedance modeling for adhesively bonded piezo-transducers. J Intell Mater Syst Struct 15:955–972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Agilent Technologies (2007). http://www.agilent.com

  19. Bhalla S, Soh CK (2003) Structural impedance based damage diagnosis by piezo-transducers. Earthquake Eng Struct Dyn 32:1897–1916

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lim YY, Bhalla S, Soh CK (2006) Structural identification and damage diagnosis using self-sensing piezo-impedance transducers. Smart Mater Struct 15:987–995

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Liang C, Sun FP, Rogers CA (1994) Coupled electro-mechanical analysis of adaptive material systems: determination of the actuator power consumption and system energy transfer. J Intell Mater Syst Struct 5:12–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Bhalla S, Soh CK (2004) Structural health monitoring by piezo-impedance transducers. Part I. Modeling. J Aerosp Eng 17:154–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Bhalla S, Soh CK (2004). Structural health monitoring by piezo-impedance transducers. Part I. Modeling. J Aerosp Eng 17:166–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. PI Ceramic (2007). http://www.piceramic.de

  25. (2007) MATLAB 7. http://www.mathworks.com

  26. (2006) ANSYS 9. www.ansys.com

  27. Naidu ASK, Soh CK (2004) Identifying damage location with admittance signatures of smart piezo-transducers. J Intell Mater Syst Struct 15:627–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by B. Tech. student Mr. Vivek Kumar and the M. Tech. student Mr. K. Vijay Kumar during fabrication and testing of some of the structures covered in the paper. Thanks are also due to the reviewers of the paper who provided invaluable suggestions on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    S. Bhalla, R. Panigrahi & A. Gupta

Authors
  1. S. Bhalla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Panigrahi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Bhalla.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bhalla, S., Panigrahi, R. & Gupta, A. Damage assessment of tensegrity structures using piezo transducers. Meccanica 48, 1465–1478 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-012-9678-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-012-9678-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation