Statistical damage classification method based wavelet packet analysis

A novel damage classification method based on wavelet packet transform and statistical analysis is developed in this study for structural health monitoring. The response signal of a structure under an impact load is normalized and then decomposed into wavelet packet components. Energies of these wavelet packet components are then calculated to obtain the energy distribution. Statistical similarity comparison based on an F-test is used to classify the structure from changes in the wavelet packet energy distribution. A statistical indicator is developed to describe the damage extent of the structure. This approach is applied to the test results from simply supported reinforced concrete beams in the laboratory. Cases with single and two damages are created from static loading, and accelerations of the structure from under impact loads are analyzed. Results show that the method can be used with no reference baseline measurement and model for the damage monitoring and assessment of the structure with alarms at a specified significance level.