Anomaly detection in structural dynamic systems via nonlinearity occurrence analysis using video data

Dynamic loads in disaster events, such as earthquakes, often cause structural damages that severely affect serviceability and even reduce the safety of civil structures or render them unsafe. Most of these damage scenarios can cause the transition from a linear to nonlinear behavior in structural dynamics. Therefore, extracting such nonlinear behaviors is an effective strategy for structural anomaly detection. In recent years, the rapid development of media devices has led to the widespread use of video data, primarily because of the ease of acquisition and lack of contact measurement. This study developed a novel method for detecting anomalies due to structural nonlinearity from video data that could capture target dynamic behaviors via non-contact measurement. The method is based on optical flow, extended repulsive force networks, and morphological operations for extracting singularities due to nonlinear events in the estimated motion vector field in video data. Subsequently, shaking table tests on a three-story shear building model containing a novel controllable hinge bearing verified the effectiveness of the developed method. The results of the feature enhancement process demonstrate the accurate localization of anomalous regions and effective mitigation of unwanted interference using the proposed method. The proposed method facilitates the use of video-based technology to evaluate rapid damage conditions post-earthquake.