Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
It is necessary to determine the effects of aging and degradation, owing to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, on structural performance. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an essential technique used for maintaining existing structures. An SHM system is used to monitor structural integrity and detect and assess structural damage using measured responses. It collects and analyzes the response data of the sensors attached to the structure. Its necessity has considerably increased with the construction and maintenance of high-rise building structures, long-span structures, and bridges. Innovative and sensitive sensors and real-time measurement systems that can collect more accurate information and evaluate structural performance more explicitly have been developed and remain a research hotspot.
In SHM, the selection, number, and placement of measurement sensors are critical. It is impractical and uneconomical to place sensors at all degrees of freedom (DOFs) of an entire finite element model. Optimal sensor placement (OSP) techniques are applied to select the target sensor locations or coordinates and to form the dynamic characteristics of the system from the sensor measurements. Different OSP techniques have been developed to optimize sensor layout. The choice of sensor placement is necessary for system identification, damage detection, control, and health monitoring.
The deviation of predicted responses from the actual path is attributed to incomplete mode shape results. The predicted responses satisfy the dynamic constraints of the relationship between the generalized and incomplete modal coordinates. This inconsistency arises because high modal data are ignored. In this study, we derived the Fisher information matrix (FIM) and effective information (EI) algorithms expressed using the weighting coefficient matrix, which minimized the differences between the observed and estimated responses and constructed a novel OSP algorithm. During each iteration, the weighting matrix that satisfied the constraints was updated. The OSP iteration was repeated until the target sensors finally coincided with the prescribed mode number. The validity of the approaches developed in this study is verified using two numerical examples, in which the OSPs of a cantilevered beam and a truss structure were established. The numerical experiments were compared with the OSP results obtained using the number of installed sensors and the algorithms of the EI approach based on the mode shape of the dynamic system, and contribution matrix F and EI approaches based on the parameter matrix were proposed in this study. It is shown that the proposed OSP algorithm designates sensor locations that are more reasonable than the mode-shape-based EI approach. The numerical results revealed that although the proposed F-based and EI-based approaches showed slightly different results, the final OSPs gradually converged to close values within a narrower range for optimal measurements.
State of the art
The optimal sensor locations were assessed using various concepts, such as Fisher matrix determination, the modal assurance criterion error, and the singular value decomposition ratio. The EI approach is a widely used OSP technique. The sensors should be located at the common nodes for the key parts of the structure associated with a high EI index. The fundamental principle of the EI sensor placement method was introduced by Kammer. 1 The method maximizes both the spatial independence and signal strength of the targeted mode shapes. Optimal measurement locations based on the Guyan reduction method were established by eliminating the DOF at each iteration. The effect of removing the mode shape at each step was distributed between the other DOFs in the subsequent process. The target sensor DOFs corresponded to where the inertia is high and the stiffness is low. This indicated that the EI index at the final stage approaches 1.0, which represents the rigid-body mode.
Most OSP algorithms utilize incomplete modal data, such as the natural frequency and the corresponding mode shape of the dynamic system. The Guyan condensation approach has the advantage of using the reduced DOFs of the transformation matrix condensed from the eigenfunction. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a more explicit and simpler process and formulation for the reduced system. Typical approaches, such as reducing the model DOFs until the measurement locations coincide with the master coordinates based on the Guyan reduction technique and the FIM, are performed to maximize some metrics of the FIM. Penny et al. 2 established an optimum set of measurement locations. Lu et al. 3 proposed an OSP method using the Guyan reduction method and a genetic algorithm. Kammer and Peck 4 introduced a sensor placement method using an iterative Guyan expansion for mass weighting of target modes and EI sensor set expansion. Despite its merits, the Guyan reduction method focuses on only the lower modes and requires a complicated derivation and computation of the transformation matrix.
Bakir 5 compared six different OSP techniques using the determinant, trace, and condition number of the FIM and concluded that the sensor set expansion technique is the best in computational effort, engineering aspects, and sensor distribution. Liu et al. 6 considered sensor placement for parameter estimation by minimizing the inverse trace of the Bayesian FIM. They derived a closed form of the FIM with respect to the selected variables of the sensor. Chen et al. 7 developed a hybrid method for OSP using modal assurance criterion matrices and EI vectors. Jiang et al. 8 investigated the effect of different weighting coefficients on the maximization of the FIM using a mathematical property of the product of the target mode and its transpose and an alternative EI formula. Blachowski et al. 9 established an OSP method based on the FIM matrix and the structural topology optimization concept to convert a discrete optimization problem into a continuous problem. He et al. 10 introduced the generalized equivalent stiffness and importance coefficient of the component and used statistical data to obtain a sensor placement structure.
The frequency response function (FRF) can include responses within a broader frequency range rather than a narrower frequency range based on the mode shapes of the OSP. Ulriksen et al. 11 utilized the FRF as an observable variable and developed a sensor placement approach based on the maximization of the minimum FIM of the frequency responses within the selected modal parameter subset.
The OSP algorithm searches for more independent DOFs. Nontraditional optimization methods have been developed using genetic algorithms and neural networks. Gomes et al. 12 developed an OSP method that adopted multiobjective genetic algorithms using the FIM and mode shape interpolation. Sun and Buyukozturk 13 proposed a discrete optimization scheme based on an artificial bee colony algorithm for a reduced model. Tongco and Meldrum 14 derived D-optimality using an optimal input design and optimal sensor design. The D-optimality criterion is defined as the maximum determinant of the FIM.
The OSP can also be selected using static response data. Xiao et al. 15 identified optimal strain sensor placement based on an assumed set of applied static forces. Sanayei and Javdekar 16 introduced sensor placement for parameter estimation and structural model updating using static nondestructive data. Song et al. 17 constructed an OSP algorithm using reduced strain sensors based on the axial strain and nodal displacements in a truss structure. Castro-Triguero et al. 18 investigated the influence of parametric uncertainties on four sensor location methodologies. Shi et al. 19 proposed an OSP method based on a weighted standard deviation norm to obtain the Hadamard product of the standard deviations and damage estimation weight. Papadopoulos and Garcia 20 established a structural sensor placement method using the Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization procedure and principal component analysis. Tan and Zhang 21 reviewed computational methodologies for OSP and formulated evaluation criteria for sensor configurations and optimization methodologies.
Methodology
Constrained dynamic equation by incomplete mode shape matrix
The dynamic behavior of a structure, which is assumed linear and approximately discretized for
where
The dynamic equation of equation (1) is decoupled by modal analysis. By substituting
It is impractical to obtain a full set of modal data. We predict the optimal number of sensors and their layout using an incomplete mode shape matrix. In this study, the target sensor number
Assuming the
where
Solving the second equation of equation (3) with respect to the modal displacement and inserting the result into the first equation of equation (3) yields
or
where
The coefficient matrix on the left-hand side of equation (4b) represents the
where
By multiplying both sides of equations (4b) and (5) by the coefficient matrix
Modified EI approach based on constraints
The optimal sensor layout and number are designed based on the locations related to independent values to explain the entire modal data. The Cramer–Rao lower bound (CRLB) provides a lower bound on the variance of an unbiased estimator and is defined as the inverse of the FIM.
The OSP can be predicted by dynamic responses. Initially, we estimate the candidate sensor positions at a full set of DOFs of the finite element model. Evaluating the left-hand and right-hand sides of equation (5), the candidate sensor locations are reduced to the number of DOFs eliminated from the master DOFs and gradually approach the target locations. The acceleration-based observation equation including the estimation error can be written as
where
The EI approach is an iterative method for selecting candidate sensor locations for optimizing the linear independence of mode shapes and the best target sensor locations. If
where
Owing to the constant variance of the stationary Gaussian measurement, equation (7) can be written as
where the parameter weighting matrix
where
where ⊗ denotes a term-by-term matrix multiplication. The G index can be utilized to evaluate the degree of influence on the FIM. A low G index is not significantly related to the sensor location.
By multiplying G by the inverse of the matrix of eigenvalues, we can obtain the EI coefficients of the candidate sensor locations
where
The main aim of the proposed algorithm is to position the sensors at the DOFs to significantly influence the acceleration variation of the second term on the right-hand side of equation (5). The OSP is derived using the constraint condition expressed by the mode shapes divided into slave and master DOFs and the contribution index.
The modified EI iteration method rearranges the array of the mode-shaped matrix during each iteration. The F and EI indices do not necessarily represent the lowest values for the same DOF. The EI index
The OSP algorithm based on the Guyan reduction method establishes the sensor locations of the reduced master DOFs using the transformation matrix. The proposed method reduces the configuration space by the constraint conditions, and the conditions expand the responses at the entire DOF. Thus, both algorithms distribute the effect of the eliminated modes to the other DOFs. The Guyan reduction method requires complicated derivation and computation of the transformation matrix, and the proposed method requires the calculation of the Moore–Penrose inverse and the establishment of constraint conditions during each iteration.
Applications and results
The measurement sensor layout must reduce the estimated uncertainties obtained using a limited number of sensors. The number of distinct sensor configurations in a finite element model is expressed as follows
where
Numerical simulations were performed on the OSP of the beam–truss structure. The test variables included the number of sensors, evaluation index, and type of parameter matrix. The test symbols are listed in Table 1.
Test symbols.
Cantilevered beam
The cantilevered beam model shown in Figure 1 was utilized to determine the validity of the proposed OSP approach. In this example, the OSP results obtained using parameter matrix

A cantilevered beam model of 10 DOFs.
The algorithm selected the optimal displacement sensor layout for the 10 candidate positions. Two incomplete mode shape matrices of the lowest four and two modes were considered to establish the OSP layout using four and two sensors, respectively. In this study, we assumed that the sensors had an equal number of modes. The initial candidate sensor locations coincided with the entire DOF of the beam model. Based on equation (2), the candidate sensor layout of the four and two sensors were 210 and 45 combinations, respectively, using equation (12). The beam had a modulus of elasticity of
The test specimens of the B-D1 series use the mode shape matrix as the parameter matrix,
EI index at each iteration in the first case.
DOF: degree of freedom. The shadowed cell indicates the deleted DOF from the system DOFs.
Deleted and retained DOFs in the second case.
DOF: degree of freedom. “O” indicates the final OSP. The shadowed cell indicates the deleted DOF from the system DOFs.
In the B-D2 series,
The numerical results presented in Table 4 reveal that the OSPs obtained using the proposed method differed from those obtained in the first case. The optimal layouts of the four sensors on the F and EI indices of the B-D2-4 series were equally optimized at DOFs 2, 3, 4, and 10. It was observed that the OSPs focused on the free and fixed ends of the beam, similar to the B-D1 series. A slight difference in the OSPs caused by the parameter weighting matrix was attributed to the contribution of the deleted mode to the other DOFs, unlike the B-D1 series. The layouts of the two sensors on the B-D2-2 series specimens based on F and EI indices were optimized at the different locations of DOFs 3 and 10 using the EI index and 2 and 4 using the F index. The OSP difference was attributed to the consideration of very few modes of the lowest two modes. The initial difference started from the second iteration. However, the final OSPs were included in the target sensors selected by the four sensors. This indicated that the two sensor locations should be common candidate locations within a narrower range.
Final OSP of B-D2 series.
DOF: degree of freedom. The shadowed cell indicates the final sensor locations.
Truss structure
As another example, we considered the OSP of the truss structure (Figure 2). Figure 2 shows the structural composition, number of members, and number of joints of the structure. The structure was simply supported and consisted of 14 nodes and 30 members. Each node had two DOFs: horizontal and vertical displacements. The entire structure consisted of 25 DOFs, excluding the boundary conditions at Nodes 1 and 8. The 25 DOFs were arranged in order from Nodes 2 to 14 (Figure 2). For this numerical simulation, each chord and diagonal member had lengths of 4 and 5 m, respectively, and the height of the structure was 3 m. Each member had a modulus of elasticity of 210 GPa and a cross-sectional area of 250 mm2. The first eight mode shapes were utilized to obtain the eight OSPs, and the condensation process was repeated similarly to the previous beam example until eight target sensors were obtained.

A truss model.
The
Final OSP of T-D2-8 series.
DOF: degree of freedom. The shadowed cell indicates the final sensor locations.
The EI index based on the mode shape of the B-D1 series did not reflect the modal effect corresponding to the deleted DOF. However, the modified EI approaches of the B-D2 and T-D2 series proposed in this study distributed the effect of the deleted mode shape to the slave mode and led to reasonable results. The proposed method showed a slightly different sensor layout, owing to the contribution of the parameter matrix and the moved mode to the slave DOFs from the master DOFs. However, the final sensor layout contained common candidates within a narrower range for optimal measurements.
Conclusion
In this study, an OSP algorithm combining the FIM and EI methods was developed, and the dynamic equation subjected to constraints of the condensed relationship between generalized and modal coordinates was derived. A parameter weighting matrix was used to represent the truncated modes and measurement errors. Iterations were repeated until the target sensors coincided with the prescribed number of modes. The numerical simulations for the sensor layout obtained with the number of installed sensors and the EI approach based on the mode shape were compared, and the F and EI approaches based on the parameter matrix derived in this study were compared. The optimal sensors obtained using the mode shape-based EI approach were located at positions that uniformly allocated all the DOFs, unlike in the proposed approaches. In the proposed F-based and EI-based approaches, the mode shapes eliminated in the master DOFs influenced the mode shapes of the slave DOFs during each iteration. The numerical results revealed that the F-based and EI-based approaches yielded slightly different OSPs because they considered only a few modes from the first mode. Nevertheless, the final OSPs gradually converged common candidates within a narrower range for optimal measurements.
