EXPERIMENTAL SIMULATION OF DEGRADING STRUCTURES THROUGH ACTIVE CONTROL

In experimental studies of structural behaviour, it is often desirable , even necessary, to perform tests on a test structure from its undama ged state, through its damaged states, and finally to failure. The fac t that experiments of this type are not often done primarily because o f its prohibitive cost. In this paper, a testing procedure is proposed in which a test structure is allowed to undergo its degradation in re al time yet it is not physically damaged, thus allowing it to be reuse d. The underlying concept is that of active structural control. Consid erable research and development of active structural control in civil engineering has taken place relative to responsive control of structur es against damaging environmental loads. While the use of active contr ol systems to simulate damage in an experimental setting as proposed i n this paper appears to be new, much of the existing knowledge base in active structural control is directly applicable. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.