CE 623A: Experimental Methods in

Structural Engineering
Lecture Notes

Chinmoy Kolay
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kanpur 208016

January 11, 2023

Contents

Course Outline 1

Safety Guidelines 3

Report Writing Guidelines 5

1 Introduction 8
1.1 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2 Course Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3 Laboratory Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.4 Some Terminologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.5 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

i
CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Introduction
CE 623A: Experimental Methods in Structural Engineering

Chinmoy Kolay
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Contents

1. Objectives

2022-23-II Semester 8 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Need for Testing

❑ Laboratory
➢ Investigate behaviour of new
material, components and systems
➢ Verify theoretical and analytical
predictions
❑ Field
➢ Assess condition and monitor
health of existing structures

Why do we need to
study CE623A?

2. Course Contents

2022-23-II Semester 9 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Topics: Lectures
❑ Sensors and measurements ❑ Structural testing
➢ Strain ➢ Static
➢ Force ➢ Dynamic
➢ Motion ➢ Hybrid or pseudo-dynamic

❑ DAQ and signal processing ➢ Destructive and non-destructive

❑ Similitude and physical modelling

in structural engineering

Laboratory Exercises (Tentative)

1. Know your lab: Safety, tour, and 7. Bending tests of RC beams
Static

sensor demo
8. Cyclic inelastic buckling of steel braces
2. Space truss system
9. Snap-back testing of a multi-storey
3. Combined stresses shear building model
Dynamic

4. Cyclic tensile tests of elastic, 10. Shake table tests of a shear building
model
superelastic, and viscoelastic
Static

materials 11. Ambient and forced vibration testing

of WLE building
5. Compression testing of concrete
cylinders 12. Demonstration of hybrid and real-time
hybrid simulation
6. Non-destructive testing of RC
beams 13. Tour of National Wind Tunnel Facility,
IIT Kanpur
8

3. Laboratory Work

2022-23-II Semester 10 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Safety Issues and Guidelines

Presented by Dr. K.K. Bajpai, Chief Scientific Officer,

on 5 Jan 2023

10

Laboratory Report Writing

❑ Report writing guideline handout

❑ Report writing template

11

4. Some
Terminologies

12

2022-23-II Semester 11 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Readability
❑ Indicates the closeness with which the scale of the instrument may be read
➢ NA for instrument with digital readout

13

Least count
❑ Smallest difference between two indications that can be detected on an
instrument scale
➢ NA for instrument with digital readout

❑ What is the least count of the Vernier scale you used in your high school?

14

Sensitivity
❑ Ratio of linear movement of the pointer on an analogue instrument to the
change in measured variable causing this motion
➢ Example: 1 mV recorder with 25 cm scale has sensitivity of 25 cm/mV

❑ Does not have same meaning for digital readout

15

2022-23-II Semester 12 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Hysteresis
❑ An instrument is said to exhibit hysteresis when there is a difference in
readings depending on whether the value of measured quantity is approached
from above or below

❑ It may be the result of mechanical friction, magnetic effects, inelastic

deformation or thermal effects

16

Accuracy
❑ Indicates the deviation of reading from a known input

❑ Frequently expressed as percentage of full-scale reading

➢ Example: A 100 kPa pressure gage with a 1% accuracy would be accurate
within ±1 kPa over the entire range of gage

❑ May also be expressed in absolute value over all ranges of an instrument

17

Precision
❑ Indicates ability of an instrument to reproduce a certain reading with a given
accuracy

18

2022-23-II Semester 13 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Accuracy vs. Precision

❑ Consider measuring a known voltage of 100 V with a certain meter

❑ Five readings are taken: 104, 103, 105, 103, and 105 V

❑ Accuracy = Max deviation from known input = 5%

❑ Precision = Max deviation from mean value = ±1%

19

Accuracy vs. Precision

❑ Accuracy can be improved by calibration up to but not beyond the precision
of the instrument

❑ In the previous example, the instrument can be calibrated to measure voltage

with 1% accuracy (i.e., ±1 V)

20

Error and Uncertainty

❑ Error is the deviation from a known value

❑ In many experiments, we may not have known value for comparison of

experimental readings

❑ We may still be confident that the instrument is certain plus or minus range of
the true value

❑ In such cases, we say the plus and minus range expresses uncertainty of the
instrument readings

21

2022-23-II Semester 14 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur

CE 623A: Experimental Methdos in Structural Engineering Introduction

Calibration
❑ Involves comparison of the instrument with either
➢ A primary standard
➢ A secondary standard with a higher accuracy than the instrument to be
calibrated, or
➢ A known input source

❑ Very important as it ensures desired accuracy of an instrument

❑ Always make simple calibration checks

22

Reading Material
❑ Chapter 2 of Holman

23

2022-23-II Semester 15 C. Kolay, IIT Kanpur