TLS and GB-RAR Measurements of Vibration Frequencies and Oscillation Amplitudes of Tall Structures: An Application to Wind Towers

This article presents a methodology for the monitoring of tall structures based on the joint use of a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), configured in line scanner mode, and a ground-based real aperture radar (GB-RAR) interferometer. The methodology provides both natural frequencies and oscillation amplitudes of tall structures. Acquisitions of the surface of the tall structure are performed by the TLS with a high sampling rate: each line scan provides an instantaneous longitudinal section. By interpolating the points of each line, oscillation profiles are estimated with a much better precision than each single point. The amplitude and frequency of the main oscillation mode of the whole structure are derived from the TLS profiles. GB-RAR measurements are used to measure the vibration frequencies of higher oscillation modes which are not caught by the TLS due its lower precision in the measurement of displacements. In contrast, the high spatial resolution of TLS measurements provides an accurate description of oscillation amplitude along the tower, which cannot be caught by the GB-RAR, due to its poorer spatial resolution. TLS and GB-RAR acquisitions are simultaneous. The comparison with the analytical solution for oscillation modes demonstrates that the proposed methodology can provide useful information for structural health monitoring (SHM). The methodology does not require the use of targets on the structure and it can be applied during its normal use, even in presence of dynamic loads (wind, traffic vibrations, etc.). A test was carried out on a wind tower where the synergistic use of TLS and GB-RAR made it possible to fully describe the spectral properties of the tower and at the same time measure the amplitude of the first oscillation mode along the tower with a high spatial resolution.