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Structural Engineering Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Structural Engineering

Wavelet Network For Semi-Active Control, Simon Laflamme, J.J.E. Slotine, J.J. Connor Jan 2011

Wavelet Network For Semi-Active Control, Simon Laflamme, J.J.E. Slotine, J.J. Connor

Simon Laflamme

This paper proposes a wavelet neurocontroller capable of self-adaptation and self-organization for uncertain systems controlled with semi-active devices, ideal candidates for control of large-scale civil structures. A condition on the sliding surface for cantilever-like structures is defined. The issue of applicability of the control solution to largescale civil structures is made the central theme throughout the text, as this topic has not been extensively discussed in the literature. Stability and convergence of the proposed neurocontroller is assessed through various numerical simulations for harmonic, earthquake, and wind excitations. The simulations consist of semi-active dampers installed as a replacement to the current …


Large-Scale Capacitance Sensor For Health Monitoring Of Civil Structures, Simon Laflamme, Matthias Kollosche, Jerome J. Connor, Guggi Kofod Jan 2010

Large-Scale Capacitance Sensor For Health Monitoring Of Civil Structures, Simon Laflamme, Matthias Kollosche, Jerome J. Connor, Guggi Kofod

Simon Laflamme

In this paper, a new type of sensing technique for damage localization on large civil structures is proposed. Specifically, changes in strain are detected using a capacitance sensor built with a soft-stretchable dielectric polymer with attached stretchable metal film electrodes. This sensor is sensitive to a change in strain that causes a change in its capacitance. Fixed to a structure, small changes in the strain can be monitored directly by measuring the change in the capacitance of the unit. This technology allows for simple yet highly accurate measurements of cracks occurring due to deformation, aging, or other structural failures. The …


Intelligent Controller For Smart Base Isolation Of Masonry Structures, Simon Laflamme, T.Y. Yu, Jerome J. Connor Oct 2009

Intelligent Controller For Smart Base Isolation Of Masonry Structures, Simon Laflamme, T.Y. Yu, Jerome J. Connor

Simon Laflamme

In this paper, an intelligent controller to control a smart base-isolated masonry structure is proposed. The smart base isolation consists of rubber bearings and a magnetorheological damper. This semi-active scheme takes advantage of the low power requirement of magnetorheological devices to achieve structural control. The controller is capable of mapping the behaviour of the controlled structure sequentially, using a self-organizing neural network which has time-varying learning rates. This neurocontroller is augmented by a sliding mode controller to account for the uncertainty on the semi-active damping forces. Wavelets are used as functions in the single hidden layer for their capability of …