OMA-Based Monitoring of Glass Partition Walls in Healthcare Facilities

Data collection concerning the operational conditions of the non-structural elements plays a crucial role to assess the seismic risk of healthcare facilities. In this context, Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) technique applied to non-structural components represents a valid procedure to identify the behavior of such components in service conditions and to detect anomalies of the system. In this paper, the potentialities offered by OMA for monitoring of non-structural elements and to support seismic risk assessment purposes are discussed. A glass partition wall, located in Campobasso’s Hospital (Southern Italy) has been considered as a case study. It has been monitored for a time interval of 19 days. Moreover, the influence of vibrational behavior of the building structure on the response of the glass partition has been assessed by a basic sensor layout to record the dynamic response of the floor. Research outcomes proved that (i) OMA is effective in providing information about the monitored system; (ii) building structure dynamics can be discriminated, and the continuous dynamic identification of the glass partition accomplished; (iii) the dataset of the modal properties can be effectively used to identify changes in the performances and support the workplace safety of critical facilities.