Digital Twin for Structural Monitoring and Anomaly Detection of the JRC Atmospheric Tower

Structural Health Monitoring is essential in detecting structural anomalies and enhancing the reliability of structures. Installation of sensors on existing and complex structures can be challenging, thus preventing the implementation of exhaustive monitoring systems. The development of structural digital twins, coupled with data from sensors, can contribute to more effective solutions, providing additional insights on the monitored structures. This work demonstrates the potential of digital twins for monitoring and identifying structural anomalies, by presenting the development of an application for a 100 m-tall steel truss atmospheric tower and base building. Operational Modal Analysis techniques, based on continuously monitored structural vibrations, are implemented to identify the dynamic parameters of the tower. This enables the possible detection of structural anomalies and changes in the tower’s modal response over time. The digital twin is then developed by combining real-time data with the virtual representation of the structure. We outline the details of the developed system, comprising the acquisition system, the digital platform, and the solution for the integration of the modular analysis components in the digital twin system architecture. The importance of digital twins in detecting structural anomalies during the life of the structure is here highlighted, demonstrating how it can enable proactive maintenance and contribute in reducing the risk of unexpected failures.