Error in the determination of the deformed shape of prismatic beams using the double integration of curvature

The deformed shape is a consequence of loading the structure and it is defined by the shape of the centroid line of the beam after deformation. The deformed shape is a universal parameter of beam-like structures. It is correlated with the curvature of the cross-section; therefore, any unusual behavior that affects the curvature is reflected through the deformed shape. Excessive deformations cause user discomfort, damage to adjacent structural members, and may ultimately lead to issues in structural safety. However, direct long-term monitoring of the deformed shape in real-life settings is challenging, and an alternative is indirect determination of the deformed shape based on curvature monitoring. The challenge of the latter is an accurate evaluation of error in the deformed shape determination, which is directly correlated with the number of sensors needed to achieve the desired accuracy. The aim of this paper is to study the deformed shape evaluated by numerical double integration of the monitored curvature distribution along the beam, and create a method to predict the associated errors and suggest the number of sensors needed to achieve the desired accuracy. The error due to the accuracy in the curvature measurement is evaluated within the scope of this work. Additionally, the error due to the numerical integration is evaluated. This error depends on the load case (i.e., the shape of the curvature diagram), the magnitude of curvature, and the density of the sensor network. The method is tested on a laboratory specimen and a real structure. In a laboratory setting, the double integration is in excellent agreement with the beam theory solution which was within the predicted error limits of the numerical integration. Consistent results are also achieved on a real structure—Streicker Bridge on Princeton University campus.