Minimum Detectable Damage on Magerholm Linkspan Via Finite Element Model Updating and Damage Simulation

Abstract

Norway’s extensive coastline and island communities rely heavily on linkspans, critical infrastructure vital for economic development. Subjected to harsh environmental conditions and demanding operational schedules, they are susceptible to accelerated degradation, highlighting the need for robust Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). This study applies and expands upon a recently proposed Minimum Detectable Damage (MDD) framework to establish curves showing variation of probability of damage detection with respect to different damage levels. The investigation focuses on the lifting towers that vertically support the linkspan at the Magerholm ferry quay, using an updated Finite Element (FE) model of the structure. Temperature variability and measurement noise are considered to reflect real-world monitoring conditions. This research employs and compares four different outlier detection methodologies to derive Damage Indices (DIs) from simulated natural frequencies.