Abstract:

In order to improve the safety analysis of old buildings, a method was introduced for quantitatively predicting their structural safety based on digital twins. Identifying risk factors in the buildings' structures, setting up an intelligent monitoring system, and using monitoring data in numerical simulations to assess the safety of critical structural elements were included. The method provided quantitative predictions for damaged areas and the extent of destruction in the buildings. This study validates the proposed method using an old building in Xi'an with a history of over 70 years. A two-year structural safety monitoring was conducted following an actual engineering design monitoring plan. The numerical model of the building was created using Revit software and imported into ABAQUS. Monitoring data was used as external parameters in numerical simulations, with the assumption that monitored values exceeding settlement thresholds indicate a quantitative prediction of building damage. The outcome demonstrates that the old building is currently in a safe condition. However, if the settlement of the building exceeds the safety threshold, the likelihood of structural damage occurring at the front side of the stairs will be increased. The study verifies the high feasibility of a quantitative prediction method that integrates real-time monitoring data with numerical simulations based on digital twin technology for analyzing and assessing the overall and local structural safety of aging buildings.

Key words: digital twins, old building structures, quantitative prediction, safe condition, numerical simulation