Pre-Identification Data Merging for Multiple Setup Measurements with Roving References

One-time operational modal analysis (OMA) of large civil structures requires measurements of the vibrations, which, according to the number of channels to be measured, are generally expensive and arduous to obtain. In this study, identification of modal parameters of civil structures has been investigated by using multiple setups with a roving reference channel. In this manner, a limited amount of equipment becomes sufficient for OMA of structures. The procedure consists of a transformation function between measurement setups, which transforms all measured data to the time frame of a selected reference setup. To illustrate the procedure, an existing 10 story laboratory shear frame model is considered. A numerical and an experimental investigation have been carried out to identify its modal characteristics. The validity of the procedure has been explained in detail by making use of a coherence function in-between the multi-setup measurements. According to the results, OMA by using only a few sensors with the performed procedure can be equivalent to OMA by using a full measurement setup. Against a common believe, the results of this study reveal that synchronization among the setups does not prominently affect the identification results.