Frequency variation in construction stages and model validation for steel buildings

Abstract

This study aims to monitor the variation of modal frequencies of steel buildings during their construction sequence. In this respect, construction of a steel building is followed by vibration based measurements. The monitored building is a three-story educational building within a building group whose structural system consists of steel moment resisting steel frames and eccentric braces. Five different acceleration measurements in two perpendicular directions are taken on five different construction stages, starting from the erection of the columns and beams ending with the completion of the construction. The recorded measurements are transferred into frequency domain and the dominant frequencies for each case have been determined. The change in the dominant frequencies is evaluated with the existing construction stages and performed constructional works between the stages. The last measurement, performed on the building in service, revealed the first two dominant frequencies as mutual in X and Y direction, showing that these dynamic modes are torsional modes. This result is investigated by numerical analysis performed with finite element model of the building constructed for design purpose. Lower frequencies and different mode shapes are determined from numerical analysis. The reason of lower frequencies is discussed and the vibration survey is extended to determine the effects of an adjacent building. The results showed that the building is in strong relation with an adjoining building in spite of a designed construction joint.