Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Funding is requested for a dual-channel laser vibrometer system to be used on a wide variety of vibration tests in Civil Engineering applications. This system is fully equipped with super long range lens and dual channel data acquisition in an industrial mobile electronic cart. Such configuration will allow us to conduct non-contact vibration measurements tests in the laboratory, as well as, in the field. We are interested on a system that: a) has a modular design that can be tailored to specific or multiple applications; b) provides features that make non-contact vibration analysis even more precise, simple, flexible and reliable; and c) can be incorporated as part of a small scale lab test, or expanded all the way up to a full scanning vibrometer system. This laser Doppler vibrometers operate on the Doppler principle, measuring back-scattered laser light from a vibrating structure, to determine its vibrational velocity and displacement. The intended use of this system is for a wide variety of applications that would benefit the experimental research of other members of the UBC Civil Engineering Department. At the present time our department does not possess a system to measure vibrations using non-contact technology and this limits us to conduct measurements using traditional sensors, like accelerometers and velocity and displacement transducers connected to a recording system by cables. We can not conduct measurements of locations of structures or components that are inaccessible or dangerous to reach, and this is why this equipment is needed. The proposed system is very versatile and can be used jointly with different sensing techniques as well as data processing software. The research effort associated with this equipment will be mainly on the development of field assessment techniques to assess in a rapid and efficient manner the condition of a structure from measurements obtained during a limited period of time.