Hardware Facilities
We have access to an extensive range of state-of-the-art software and hardware costing over £1M for experimental and analytical investigations of vibrations of civil structures and biodynamics. Our facilities are constantly adapted and upgraded by both the company and the University of Sheffield for fundamental and applied research, as well as for commercial work. As a result, our facilities are the most advanced in the UK for vibration testing and analysis of large civil engineering structures.
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Sensor selection - solving a key problem in civil engineering.
Less than 1% of all vibration transducers are capable of measuring low frequency and low level vibrations whilst being robust enough for field operation. This is a typical requirement when measuring vibrations of civil engineering structures. Most vibration transducers are tuned to higher-frequency, higher-level vibrations in mechanical and aerospace applications. We offer a carefully selected and extensively tested range of highly sensitive robust accelerometers which are suitable for all civil engineering applications. These are fully equipped with suitable signal conditioning and robust cabling and housing solutions for field operation on full-scale civil structures.
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Portable data acquisition.
We use a range of portable data acquisition devices, including a flagship Data Physics Mobilyzer II spectrum analyser with 24 No. 24-bit input channels and 4 independent output channels.
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Biomechanics.
We have access to a suite of biodynamics facilities, including a rare fully instrumented triaxial treadmill, force plates and Codamotion motion capture to study human motion and the corresponding forces applied to civil structures. For more information on our facilities, follow the link to the facilities pages of the Vibration Engineering Section at The University of Sheffield.
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Bespoke systems for remote vibration monitoring, automatic parameter estimation and reporting.
We have developed several vibration monitoring systems which are robust and suitable for long term commercial use. These include highly sensitive accelerometers, signal conditioning and analogue to digital conversion, remote video monitoring, pedestrian counting and environmental sensing. We can also combine the measured vibration data with quasi-static structural data. A special unique feature in these systems is automatic on-line parameter estimation and non-stop hourly reporting of modal data correlated with measured vibration response levels and other ambient data.
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Two APS400 electrodynamic shakers operating in synch at Gatwick Airport Link
Bridge.
Two APS400 electrodynamic shakers operating in synch at Gatwick Airport Link
Bridge.
Three APS400 multi-shakers working horizontally.
Three APS400 multi-shakers working horizontally.
Two small APS113 and two large APS400 shakers mounted vertically.
Two small APS113 and two large APS400 shakers mounted vertically.
Triaxial Guralp seismometer with GPS and
internet connections.
Triaxial Guralp seismometer with GPS and
internet connections.
Range of Kinemetrics, Honeywell QA and Endevco accelerometers.
Range of Kinemetrics, Honeywell QA and Endevco accelerometers.
Uniaxial Honeywell QA 750 accelerometer (right) and tri-axial Guralp
seismometer (left).
Uniaxial Honeywell QA 750 accelerometer (right) and tri-axial Guralp
seismometer (left).
24 channel 24-bit Dataphysics Mobilyzer spectrum analyser
with 4 output channels.
24 channel 24-bit Dataphysics Mobilyzer spectrum analyser
with 4 output channels.
Dataphysics Quattro 4 channel analyser.
Dataphysics Quattro 4 channel analyser.
National Instruments 4 channel portable data acquisition box.
National Instruments 4 channel portable data acquisition box.
GeoSYG data acquisition box synchronised via GPS.
GeoSYG data acquisition box synchronised via GPS.
Codamotion system for tracking human body motion.
Codamotion system for tracking human body motion.
Codamotion data interpretation and presentation.
Codamotion data interpretation and presentation.
ADAL tri-axial instrumental treadmill.
ADAL tri-axial instrumental treadmill.
Bespoke 10-channel remote monitoring system based on National Instruments
data acquisition.
Bespoke 10-channel remote monitoring system based on National Instruments
data acquisition.
Acquisition and control system for structural health monitoring at the University
of Sheffield Arts Tower.
Acquisition and control system for structural health monitoring at the University
of Sheffield Arts Tower.
Guralp seismometer featuring on-line digital data transmission.
Guralp seismometer featuring on-line digital data transmission.
Case Studies
| Rugeley Power Station chimney More» |  |
| Office building vibration testing More» |  |
| Modal test of a 6 lane Highway Bridge More» |  |
| Interference effects for in-line chimneys More» |  |
| Gatwick Airport Link Bridge More» |  |
The 183m tall original chimney at Rugeley power station operated without incident
since it was built in 1968 until construction, in late 2006, of a replacement chimney
in the upstream direction of the prevailing wind. An investigation of cross-wind
interference effects, on the old chimney, prior to construction and commissioning
of the new chimney led to the installation of a tuned mass damper (TMD) and of a
system for monitoring performance of both TMD and chimney during the remainder of
its operational life.
The office structure is on the 2nd floor of a purpose-built office building. It has steel
primary beams at 6m centres, secondary beams at 3m centres and steel columns
approximately on a 6x12m grid.
In April 2008 the Federal Highway Agency’s Office of Infrastructure Research and
Development launched the Long Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program, a 20 year
project with the objective of collecting scientific quality data from the Nation’s
bridges. The information collected will provide a detailed and timely picture of bridge
health, improve knowledge of performance and promote safety, reliability and longevity
of bridges in the USA.
Following on from the Rugeley Chimney and TMD monitoring exercise, FSDL proposed
to carry out a study on interference effect for inline slender chimneys. As a result,
CICIND commissioned FSDL to provide design guidance for such effects using
numerical techniques for fluid-structure interaction based on computational fluid
dynamics and validated using the Rugeley Chimney data.
The Gatwick Airport Pier 6 Link Bridge, completed in 2005, was constructed to connect
a new pier to an existing terminal building at the airport. The bridge traverses a major
taxiway and there is sufficient clearance for Boeing 747-400 aircraft to pass underneath.
