Intelligent Steel Structures – Measurement‐Based Model Updating Concepts for Innovative Design Strategies

Structural systems are in general quite sophisticated in terms of interactions between individual members with respect to their stressing and resistance. In addition, the stochastic nature of different loads and resistances, respectively, is quite different. A consistent statistical representation of the random variables for a structural component/member is therefore quite complex. In this context, the implementation of intelligent structures and the incorporation of the measuring data can help to improve the prediction of random variables for a certain member and therefore to update models in the design process. Depending on the obtained measurement data, the updating can either refer to the statistical representation quality of different values, but also to the quantity of random variables or even to the update of the mechanical model and its boundary conditions. For that reason, a classification of updating possibilities in the context of the design process described by different hierarchical levels is useful. The aim of this article is to give an overview and insight on corresponding concepts of sensor‐based design strategies for steel structures. In addition, first research results regarding the effect of measurement‐based updating on the quality improvement of the design process is presented.