Pescara benchmark: overview of modelling, testing and identification

The `Pescara benchmark' is part of the national research project `BriViDi' (BRIdge VIbrations and DIagnosis) supported by the Italian Ministero dell'Universita e Ricerca. The project is aimed at developing an integrated methodology for the structural health evaluation of railway r/c, p/c bridges. The methodology should provide for applicability in operating conditions, easy data acquisition through common industrial instrumentation, robustness and reliability against structural and environmental uncertainties. The Pescara benchmark consisted in lab tests to get a consistent and large experimental data base and subsequent data processing. Special tests were devised to simulate the train transit effects in actual field conditions. Prestressed concrete beams of current industrial production both sound and damaged at various severity corrosion levels were tested. The results were collected either in a deterministic setting and in a form suitable to deal with experimental uncertainties. Damage identification was split in two approaches: with or without a reference model. In the first case f.e. models were used in conjunction with non conventional updating techniques. In the second case, specialized output-only identification techniques capable to deal with time-variant and possibly non linear systems were developed. The lab tests allowed validating the above approaches and the performances of classical modal based damage indicators.