Skip to main content

2018 | Buch

Mechatronics for Cultural Heritage and Civil Engineering

insite
SUCHEN

Über dieses Buch

This book presents recent advances in mechatronic and integrated monitoring and management systems with applications to architectural, archaeology survey, construction management and civil engineering. It consists of 16 chapters authored by recognized experts in a variety of fields including dynamics, signal processing, inverse modeling, robotics and automation, in particular, here applied to design and construction of civil structures and architectural survey, monitoring and maintenance of cultural heritage assets, structures and infrastructure. The book is organized in three main sections: “Robotics and Automation”, “Digital Technologies for Cultural Heritage” and “Civil Structural Health Monitoring”. Topics include image processing for automated visual inspection, fiber optical sensor technology, wireless sensor monitoring, bridge inspection and monitoring of tunnel infrastructures, design tools for construction engineering, smart cities. Direct and inverse modeling of multibody systems and robots contributes to the development of applications for civil engineering and smart cities. Digital technology and mechatronic systems changes the way of looking at restoration of historical and archeological sites, analysis, inspection, visualization, management systems and sensor network for Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI). Combined use of geographical information system (GIS), laser scanner, remote sensing, digital thermography and drones as integrated systems permits to highlight new frontier for building and infrastructure knowledge.

The book offers a valuable reference work for scientists, architects, engineers, researchers and practitioners in engineering and architecture since the integrated development of new technologies for the design and management of existing and new infrastructure may produce a new market of services and products for safe and economically optimized infrastructure management.

Through the dissemination of advanced research developments in mechatronics and integrated management systems, the book promotes exchanges and collaborations among researchers of different disciplines. The book contributes to further advancements in the rapidly growing field of integration of robotic, automation and information technologies in the area of facilities and infrastructure management and construction processes.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter
Mechatronics in the Process of Cultural Heritage and Civil Infrastructure Management
Abstract
Automatized survey, construction, inspection, maintenance, restoration and reconstruction have become challenging activities conducted during the process of cultural heritage and civil infrastructure management, due to the revolutionary impact of mechatronics and information technology in routine operations. The complete process is summarized, considering different aspects related to the interconnection between classical engineering and architectural problems with the emerging technologies related to automation, robotics and information communication technologies (ICT). The impact of new technologies on data acquisition for survey, inspection and monitoring is, firstly, considered, drawing upon evidence of how the use of robotized systems and sensor networks determines new sets of available data to be processed by digital tools to build advanced models. The integration among different information and numerical models permits one to test the novelties related to the use of ICT technologies for creating an exhaustive description of the examined facility. Data and models can be then used to identify and to describe defects and degradation, especially in view of determining possible performance reduction in existing structures. All the acquired knowledge opportunely managed constitutes the input for automated or partially automated decision-making process useful in facilities and infrastructure management.
Vincenzo Gattulli, Erika Ottaviano, Assunta Pelliccio

Robotics and Automation

Frontmatter
Timed Cellular Automata-Based Tool for the Analysis of Urban Road Traffic Models
Abstract
The optimization process of urban transportation in smart cities is strongly connected to the elaboration of specific, efficient models. In this context, this chapter describes a versatile modelling formalism based on timed automata and implemented in the UPPAAL environment for different complex and easily changeable road traffic simulations. Microscopic models based on cellular automatons are analysed in order to simulate the behaviour of different vehicles in a specific group of urban streets. The proposed models integrate the main traffic elements present in urban traffic: streets with multiple traffic lanes; different types of vehicles, including automobiles, buses and trams; intersections controlled by traffic lights; bus and tram stops inside and outside of the traffic lane, pedestrian crosswalks; and parallel street parking. The basic concepts are detailed starting from scenarios which first merit to highlight possible modelling techniques and structures and to facilitate a comparative analysis of the limitations of the presented models. The models based on traffic cellular automata (TCA) have appropriate results inside of the urban traffic theory.
Camelia Avram, Adina Astilean, Eduardo Valente
Process Analysis of Cable-Driven Parallel Robots for Automated Construction
Abstract
This contribution presents an introduction to cable robots, their properties and their mechatronic design for application in automated construction. Today, most steps involved in the construction process are performed manually. Thus, the integration of automated functions demands a closer look at the production and logistic paradigms, these are the main focus of this paper. Based on case studies, the authors discuss upcoming transformations in shell production by comparing the conventional construction process with proposed processes involving cable-driven parallel robots. The focus is on bricklaying and working methods for the installation of prefabricated elements. Adaptations to site logistics and changes in work organization are also considered. A case study and sensitivity analysis based on system dynamics modeling are introduced, and the conceptual design of an experimental prototype is presented. The results of the investigations show that the use of a cable-driven robot is feasible for onsite construction, enabling automation of processes to save time and cost. The study investigates crucial parameters and the potential for cable robots in the field of construction.
Tobias Bruckmann, Arnim J. Spengler, Christian K. Karl, Christopher Reichert, Markus König
Design of Reconfigurable Cable-Driven Parallel Robots
Abstract
This chapter is dedicated to the design of Reconfigurable Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (RCDPRs) where the locations of the cable exit points on the base frame can be selected from a finite set of possible values. A task-based design strategy for discrete RCDPRs is formulated. By taking into account the working environment, the designer divides the prescribed workspace or trajectory into parts. Each part shall be covered by one configuration of the RCDPR. Placing the cable exit points on a grid of possible locations, numerous CDPR configurations can be generated. All the possible configurations are analysed with respect to a set of constraints in order to determine the parts of the prescribed workspace or trajectory that can be covered. The considered constraints account for cable interferences, cable collisions, and wrench feasibility. The configurations satisfying the constraints are then compared in order to find the combinations of configurations that accomplish the required task while optimising one or several objective function(s). A case study comprising the design of a RCDPR for sandblasting and painting of a three-dimensional tubular structure is finally presented. Cable exit points are reconfigured, switching from one side of the tubular structure to another, until three external sides of the structure are covered. The optimisation includes the minimisation of the number of cable attachment/detachment operations required to switch from one configuration to another one, minimisation of the size of the RCDPR, and the maximisation of the RCDPR stiffness.
Lorenzo Gagliardini, Marc Gouttefarde, Stéphane Caro
Distance Geometry in Active Structures
Abstract
Distance constraints are an emerging formulation that offers intuitive geometrical interpretation of otherwise complex problems. The formulation can be applied in problems such as position and singularity analysis and path planning of mechanisms and structures. This paper reviews the recent advances in distance geometry, providing a unified view of these apparently disparate problems. This survey reviews algebraic and numerical techniques, and is, to the best of our knowledge, the first attempt to summarize the different approaches relating to distance-based formulations.
Josep M. Porta, Nicolás Rojas, Federico Thomas
New Trends in Residential Automation
Abstract
Home automation is a promising market application and a very interesting area of research in the field of automation, where human–machine integration is a key issue. The history of home automation, however, can be traced through various phases since its inception: first, with concepts and equipment inherited from industry automation, then to a phase in which new tools were developed but problems were encountered with design, and finally to a new era where the challenge is to further explore a multidisciplinary approach that conceives of home automation as a service, with a different model for the interaction between the home and its users. In this new phase, the design challenges are quite different, as is the motivation for implementing new architectures for building and residential automation (B&RA). In this article we present a direct comparison between the last two phases of home automation, as described above, and propose a new methodology for designing B&RA systems based on an anthropocentric automation approach. A design discipline for improving integration is applied to models developed at the beginning of this century, achieving good results. This same model is then compared with a new approach, revealing new challenges that could arise in both integration and service. To better understand all of the differences, the older approach is presented along with a case study implemented in Portugal. It introduces new concepts and challenges for B&RAs in implementing sustainable houses and buildings that are also capable of generating energy—as in the urban smart grid. Another important challenge is improving integration with users in terms of service systems.
José Reinaldo Silva, Javier Martinez Silva, Celina Pereira, Camelia Avram, Sergiu Dan-Stan

Digital Technologies for Cultural Heritage

Frontmatter
Digital Technology and Mechatronic Systems for the Architectural 3D Metric Survey
Abstract
Over the last decade, we have seen the widespread use of digital survey technologies that have made the three-dimensional (3D) metric survey within reach of all. In the past, lengthy training was needed to use total stations and classical photogrammetry. Today, laser scanning and “new photogrammetry” allow operators with little training to produce 3D models with high spatial density in real time. These systems have therefore made 3D metric survey available to a wide audience of professionals, and have also allowed surveys to be performed with little economic investment in instrumentation. Although this evolution in survey methodologies has certainly brought great benefits, the use of these methods by operators with limited training poses some risk. The proliferation of imprecise processed 3D data, however, constitutes a digital archive of documentation which, by its nature, should be semi-automatically integrated. Issues related to reference systems, scale of representation, accuracy, and related metadata therefore become highly relevant. This paper aims to describe, by means of several case studies, the laser scanner and “new photogrammetry” survey methodologies in light of the aforementioned issues. In addition, the use of “new photogrammetry” in combination with UAV systems will be presented. The integration and miniaturization of positioning systems, attitude measuring systems, and survey instruments (cameras, laser scanners, thermal and multispectral cameras, etc.) allow, by drone flight, the creation of 3D surveys, something that was impossible several years ago without a substantial budget for the use of conventional aircraft.
Marco Giorgio Bevilacqua, Gabriella Caroti, Andrea Piemonte, Alessandro Ariel Terranova
Cultural Heritage Documentation, Analysis and Management Using Building Information Modelling: State of the Art and Perspectives
Abstract
This chapter presents current issues relating to the use of a building information modelling (BIM) approach in the field of cultural heritage, which is better known as historic-BIM (H-BIM). Technological innovation in the field of automatic metric data acquisition (e.g., 3D laser scanning, digital photogrammetry techniques) requires data processing to produce a coherent parametric model that is congruent with metric survey information. Working with historical artefacts, this process becomes very complex, because the existing tools used to support BIM methodologies are mainly oriented towards new design interventions. From this perspective, the aim of our research is to explore the state of the art of current data acquisition techniques and their integration to obtain a master model, which is defined in the literature as an “inventory BIM model”. We will analyse the different scan-to-BIM approaches aimed at creating building object model (BOM) components that, using different acquisition techniques to obtain geometric data, allow the user to define the level of accuracy with which they are generated; in addition, the integrated development of new technologies for existing management (in terms of data enrichment of non-geometric information) will be analysed. Future research perspectives in this field are directed toward the design of a mechatronic system that optimizes computing systems, thus improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire process, and making use of a wealth of interdisciplinary knowledge in order to arrange a hierarchy of knowledge that can be shared with other professionals involved in interventions for the protection of cultural heritage.
Filiberto Chiabrando, Vincenzo Donato, Massimiliano Lo Turco, Cettina Santagati
3D Survey Systems and Digital Simulations for Structural Monitoring of Rooms at the Uffizi Museum in Florence
Abstract
This article presents research activities conducted on several rooms as part of the extension project of the Grandi Uffizi Museum in Florence (Italy). The research addresses survey methods for monitoring the static performance and evaluating the structural plastic deformations of vaulted systems and architectural elements, mostly subjected to structural reinforcements. In order to achieve positive results, the most appropriate 2D and 3D graphic representation methods have been identified, to enable the realization of detailed, technical documents. Laser scanner survey activities have been executed along with photo-modeling and extensive photographic documentation, crucial for the operations of photogrammetry and photomapping reconstructions. Post-production and data processing steps have produced substantial documentation of graphic materials through the development of floor plans, detailed measurements of series of sections, photomap reconstructions and 3D simulations. The thrust of the innovative research deals with the development of 3D computational models by implementing and refining reverse engineering processes for the simulating the static performance and plastic deformations that overlap the various stages of each investigation. These monitoring techniques have made it possible to determine the effect of the consolidation interventions operated, through a progressive implementation of the point cloud. The opportunity to follow the construction site from 2010 until now has contributed significantly to the enhancement and refinement of these detection and representation techniques, enabling the development of new operational methods with higher metric reliability to support the activities that such a sophisticated construction site as the Grandi Uffizi in Florence represents.
Sandro Parrinello, Sara Porzilli
GIS-Based Study of Land Subsidence in the City of Bologna
Abstract
Geographic information systems (GIS) are very powerful tools capable of performing spatial analyses over large amounts of the territory representing large amounts of data. They consist of hardware, software, and human activities that facilitate collection, analysis, and storage of data, in different forms, related to the features of the territory. In the present chapter, the potential of the GIS tool is explored in a study of the effects of subsidence that occurred during the previous decades in the city of Bologna, where a valuable historic and cultural heritage made up of an intricate system of old masonry buildings, churches and monuments, is exposed and at risk. Data from previous geological, hydrogeological and geotechnical studies was collected and georeferenced. Then, topographical investigations and periodic records of the groundwater level in the network wells were superposed to establish a relation between causes and effects. The analysis reveals the spatial and temporal distribution of settlements in the city center and in the surrounding area. The evolution of the subsidence phenomenon has been possible, and the use of GIS has revealed the role of different factors and their mutual correlation. By combining all information, it can be seen that the area is severely affected by the distribution of total and differential settlements and that a particularly critical situation emerges in the city center. Additionally, the causes of the phenomenon could be established with great precision, enabling the identification of appropriate countermeasures.
Rose Line Spacagna, Giuseppe Modoni
Infrared Thermography of Walls in Residential Buildings in Historic Workers’ Housing Estates in Upper Silesia
Abstract
Thermal diagnostics of historic buildings in most cases requires the application of non-destructive testing methods. They are needed to carry out historical analysis of walls in historic buildings as well as to assess their level of thermal insulation. One of the most commonly used methods of measurement is infrared thermography. It allows visualisation, recording and interpretation of temperature distribution on the surface of tested walls. Diverse thermal imaging methods can be used, including passive and active thermography. In this article selected results of infrared thermography of external walls of historic workers’ residential buildings localised in Upper Silesia are presented. The scope of the tests was to diagnose the condition of the buildings and to formulate guidelines for their protection consistent with recommendations of the conservator. Numerical analysis was performed with Therm 7.4 software, based on the finite-element method.
Magdalena Żmudzińska-Nowak, Paweł Krause, Magdalena Krause

Civil Structural Health Monitoring

Frontmatter
Structural Health Monitoring Systems for Smart Heritage and Infrastructures in Spain
Abstract
The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and robotics is currently demonstrating its potential impact on different fields of application. With regard to cultural heritage, and architectural and engineering heritage in particular, these new technologies are changing the possibilities for structural capacity assessment and health monitoring (SHM). The objective of smart heritage can be achieved thanks to properly designed SHM systems, which when connected to an automated diagnostic system can even self-evaluate retrofitting needs. This chapter includes a brief summary of the SHM technologies applied for cultural heritage management in Spain during the early 2000s.
F. Javier Baeza, Salvador Ivorra, David Bru, F. Borja Varona
Data-Driven Approach to Structural Health Monitoring Using Statistical Learning Algorithms
Abstract
Condition assessment and prediction of existing infrastructure systems is a major objective in civil engineering. Structural health monitoring (SHM) achieves this goal by continuous data acquisition from an array of sensors deployed on the structure of interest. SHM constructs ubiquitous damage features from the acquired data, ensuring maximum sensitivity to the onset of damage and robustness to noise and variability in environmental and operational conditions. Traditionally, SHM has used a model-based approach, wherein a high-fidelity model of a structure is constructed and studied in detail to aid engineers in detecting the onset of damage based on deviations from an undamaged model of the system. However, given the complexity of structures and the inability to perfectly model all aspects of a system, a data-driven approach becomes an attractive alternative. In data-driven approaches, a surrogate model, constructed using acquired data from a system, is substituted for a real model. Although such models do not necessarily capture all the physics of a system, they are efficient for damage detection purposes. Statistical learning algorithms aid in the construction of such surrogate models, and their use has now been extensively documented in the literature. This chapter provides a brief review of applications of statistical learning algorithms, both supervised and unsupervised, in SHM for real-time condition assessment of civil infrastructure systems.
Debarshi Sen, Satish Nagarajaiah
Vibration-Based Monitoring of Civil Structures with Subspace-Based Damage Detection
Abstract
Automatic vibration-based structural health monitoring has been recognized as a useful alternative or addition to visual inspections or local non-destructive testing performed manually. It is, in particular, suitable for mechanical and aeronautical structures as well as on civil structures, including cultural heritage sites. The main challenge is to provide a robust damage diagnosis from the recorded vibration measurements, for which statistical signal processing methods are required. In this chapter, a damage detection method is presented that compares vibration measurements from the current system to a reference state in a hypothesis test, where data-related uncertainties are taken into account. The computation of the test statistic on new measurements is straightforward and does not require a separate modal identification. The performance of the method is firstly shown on a steel frame structure in a laboratory experiment. Secondly, the application on real measurements on S101 Bridge is shown during a progressive damage test, where damage was successfully detected for different damage scenarios.
Michael Döhler, Falk Hille, Laurent Mevel
Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Reinforced Masonry Structures Across Multiple Scales
Abstract
This review chapter outlines the outcomes of a combined experimental-numerical investigation on the retrofitting of masonry structures by means of polymeric textile reinforcement. Masonry systems comprise a significant portion of cultural heritage structures, particularly within European borders. Several of these systems are faced with progressive ageing effects and are exposed to extreme events, as for instance intense seismicity levels for structures in the center of Italy. As a result, the attention of the engineering community and infrastructure operators has turned to the development, testing, and eventual implementation of effective strengthening and protection solutions. This work overviews such a candidate, identified as a full-coverage reinforcement in the form of a polymeric multi-axial textile. This investigation is motivated by the EU-funded projects Polytect and Polymast, in the context of which this protection solution was developed. This chapter is primarily concerned with the adequate simulation and verification of the retrofitted system, in ways that are computationally affordable yet robust in terms of simulation accuracy. To this end, finite element-based mesoscopic and multiscale representations are overviewed and discussed within the context of characterization, identification and performance assessment.
Eleni N. Chatzi, Savvas P. Triantafyllou, Clemente Fuggini
Monitoring and Maintenance of Customized Structures for Underground Environments: The Case of Gran Sasso National Laboratory
Abstract
In recent years, the monitoring and maintenance of underground structures has received increasing attention. This chapter presents a structural analysis of two customized prototypes necessary for conducting experimental research within the underground halls of the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS). These structures consist primarily of a steel-framed structure built within a water tank. Different models representing the fluid–structure interaction are also discussed. The structural monitoring is carried out through dynamic experimental tests in different configurations (prototype empty or filled with water) and load conditions (release, hammer, and environmental). The experimental modal information is used to perform manual updating of the numerical finite element models. Finally, a possible structural monitoring system is proposed, which consists primarily of a distributed fiber optic sensing system for the vaults of the experimental halls of the LNGS.
Francesco Potenza
Metadaten
Titel
Mechatronics for Cultural Heritage and Civil Engineering
herausgegeben von
Prof. Dr. Erika Ottaviano
Assunta Pelliccio
Vincenzo Gattulli
Copyright-Jahr
2018
Electronic ISBN
978-3-319-68646-2
Print ISBN
978-3-319-68645-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68646-2

Neuer Inhalt