WO2001001124A1

WO2001001124A1 - Structural integrity recovery system

Info

Publication number: WO2001001124A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/014618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carl Vance Hedberg
Original assignee: Carl Vance Hedberg
Priority date: 1999-06-29
Filing date: 1999-06-29
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Also published as: AU4839799A

Abstract

An apparatus and method for testing the structural joints in steel buildings is described. The invention provides electromechanical test units (30) fixed at the joints (20) of a building (5) and permanently wired (40) to an ultrasonic test monitor (90). Such a monitor may be one of many that are in communication with, a central monitor and test management computer (100) so as to accomplish wide spread testing of many buildings immediately after an earthquake by remote access.

Description

TITLE: STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY RECOVERY SYSTEM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates to structural inspection, and more particularly to the testing of buildings for structural integrity of joints such as welded joints. The knowledge of such integrity becomes very important immediately after an earth upheaval such as natural quake or other disturbances such as a terrorist event such as bombing, foundation settlement or unexpected dead loads imposed above the engineered calculations for a building or structure.

The prior art teaches the use of testing of building joints including ultrasonic testing of joint integrity. However, the prior art does not teach that a testing system may be made a part of a construction and function in such a manner as to provide information immediately after the building frame is shaken. The prior art does not teach a system that allows testing without a partial destruction of the building's walls or other parts to allow access to the structural joints. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use, which give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for testing the structural joints in steel buildings. The invention provides electromechanical test units fixed at the joints of a building and wired to a test apparatus such as an ultrasonic test monitor. Such a monitor may be one of many that are in communication with a central monitor and test management computer so as to accomplish testing immediately after an earthquake by remote access.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a building integrity testing apparatus and method having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide such an apparatus having permanent test fixtures as part of the construction of a building frame.

A further objective is to provide such an apparatus having permanent wiring for sending and receiving test signals from a test set.

A still further objective is to provide such an apparatus with remote management control and data processing.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above-described drawing (FIG 1) illustrates the invention, a combination metallic building frame structural and integrity monitoring apparatus, the combination comprising: a metallic building frame 5 comprising a plurality of structural elements 10 such as steel girders, the structural elements 10 being joined by structure joining means 20 such as welds as shown, or rivets, or other common building technique; a plurality of electromechanical transducers 30 being permanently joined with a structure joining means 20 and enabled for operating with ultrasonic signals, i.e. the transducer is an ultrasonic type electromechanical device that is common in the structural integrity testing industry; a plurality of signal transmission means 40 preferably either coaxial type cables or wireless radio frequency (RF) links interconnected with a transmission means signal splitter and director means 45, each of the individual transmission means being in communication with individual electromechanical transducers 30 for transmitting a testing signal from the structure monitoring station processor 90 and for transmitting a test results signal from the electromechanical transducer 30 back to the structure monitoring station processor 90; a test signal interpreter means 70 interconnected with the structure monitoring station processor 90, a transmission means signal splitter and director means 45 and a plurality of electromechanical transducers 30 by a plurality of electrical signal transmission means 40 to generate a programmed testing signal for transmission to individual electromechanical transducers 30, and further receive and interpret test results signals transmitted by individual electromechanical transducers 30, and further convert individual test results signals to recognized character codes for evaluation in the data comparitor means 92 and storage history record within the structure monitoring station processor 90 and memory means 94.

Preferably, the signal transmission means 40 is coaxial type cable specified for low electromagnetic force (EMF) interference and low loss of signal transmission, the cables 40 being placed within tubular cable conduction means 60 for gaining permanent signal transmission access to a plurality of electromechanical transducers 30 mounted at strategic structural joining means 20 within the building frame 5 for execution of the testing cycle. Preferably, the structure monitoring station processor 90 is programmed for periodic and automated testing of the structural joining means 20, the data processor 90 being enabled for sending operational commands to the test signal interpreter means 70 so as to generate and receive sequential or random testing signal transmissions for scheduled evaluations of strategic structural joining means 20 to determine the soundness of the metallic building frame 5.

Preferably, the structure monitoring station processor 90 includes a comparitor means 92 for comparing the current testing results signal character codes with previously stored testing results signal character codes as well as a measured tolerance comparison to a quality determination criteria stored in a memory means 94 thereof.

Preferably, the present invention further allows remote monitoring and testing by inclusion of a transmission means 80, such as a modem capable of signal and data transmissions via hardwire means 50, such as telephone cable, and/or wireless RF transmission means 55, for two-way communication between a remote monitoring station processor 100 and a structure monitoring station processor 90 preferably equipped with a similar transmission means 80.

Preferably, the method of remote monitoring and testing includes the step of transmitting the testing sequence from a remote monitoring station processor 100 to activate a structure monitoring station processor 90 and execute a predetermined or a remotely sequenced integrity testing procedure utiliziug the permanently installed structure monitoring and testing apparatus.

Preferably, the method of remote monitoring and testing includes the step of extracting testing results signal character codes and data from a structure monitoring station processor 90 for evaluation within a remote monitoring station processor 100.

While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A weld integrity inspection and evaluation apparatus not dependent upon external loads or forces for identifying structural weld failures, thus comprising: a plurality of electromechanical transducers, each electromechanical transducer being permanently joined with selected structural welded joining means; a plurality of electrical signal transmission means, each means being capable of electronic communication with each electromechanical transducer for transmitting a testing signal to an electromechanical transducer permanently mounted at each predetermined structural joining means and for transmitting test results rebound signals from an electromechanical transducer back to a test signal generator and test results interpretation and display means; a test signal generator and test results interpretation and display means interconnected with a plurality of electrical signal transxnission means; wherein each electromechanical transducer is enabled to receive and return predetermined electronic waveform patterns to ultrasonically test a structural weld without external load or force to identify weld failures.

2. A method for inspection of structural integrity of welded structural joining means in a metallic framed structure, the method comprising the steps of;

A) permanently joining a plurality of electromechanical transducers to a plurality of welded structural joining means in a metallic frame structure;

B) interconnecting a plurality of electromechanical transducers to a test signal generator and test results signal interpretation and display means with a plurality of permanently connected electrical signal transmission means;

C) initiating a predetermined test signal from a test signal generator and test results signal interpretation and display means;

D) transmitting a predetermined test signal to individually enable each electromechanical transducer;

E) test signal activation of individual electromechanical transducers for ultrasonic test wave pattern generation and resulting inspection wave pattern rebound signal of a welded structural joint; F) transmitting an inspection wave pattern rebound signal from an electromechanical transducer to a test signal generator and test results signal interpretation and display means through interconnecting signal transmission means; wherein the inspection is being performed without external loads or forces.

3. The method of claim 2 further including an automatic initiation of test signal generation at the test signal generator and test results signal interpretation and display means in accordance with a predetermined weld testing schedule.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein a test signal generator and test results interpretation and display means further includes a comparitor means for evaluating a current ultrasonic inspection electronic wave pattern rebound signal and a stored initial ultrasonic inspection electronic wave pattern rebound signal in conjunction with a predetermined quality criteria stored in a memory means of the test results signal interpretation and display means.

5. The combination of claim 1 further including a transmission means for two-way communication between a test signal generator and test results interpretation and display means and a remote data collection and processing means.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said remote data collection and processing means is preprogrammed for automatic signal generation so as to enable a test signal generator and test results interpretation and display means to enable a predetermined electromechanical transducer for ultrasonic testing of metallic frame welded structure joining means.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said remote data collection and processing means is further enabled for receiving test results rebound signals from a test signal interpretation and display means so as to remotely evaluate the soundness of metallic frame welded j oining means .

8. The combination of claim 5 wherein the remote data collection and processing means includes a comparitor means for evaluating current inspection results rebound signals the initial inspection results rebound signals in conjunction with a predetermined quality criteria stored in a memory means of the remote data collection and processing means.