Using GPS for dynamic monitoring tall-building´s structures based on wavelet analysis

Relative displacements used to assess stress and drift conditions of structures are difficult to measure directly. Accelerometers are the most common instruments used to monitor structural systems during earthquakes or strong winds, but to arrive at displacements requires processing including double integration. In most cases, such processing does not take place in real-time or near real-time because of requisite steps including choice of filters for signal processing. These choices could introduce errors at periods relevant to structural response. However, recently advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology allows reliable monitoring of tall buildings. This paper takes one instance of GPS dynamic monitoring in tall buildings to study the method, function and operating process of deformation analysis based on wavelet transform. The results demonstrate structure vibration can be completely determined by GPS dynamic monitoring technology. Wavelet transform can efficiently extract weak but useful signals from original signals disturbed by strong noises, which is superior to those traditional methods.