Determining the natural vibration period of towering structure using GNSS precise point positioning

Abstract

This study explores the use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) precise point positioning (PPP) technology to determine the natural vibration periods of towering structures through simulations and field testing. During the simulation phase, a GNSS receiver captured vibration waveforms generated by a single-axis motion simulator based on preset signal parameters, analyzing how different satellite system configurations affect the efficiency of extracting vibration parameters. Subsequently, field tests were conducted on a high-rise steel single-tube tower. The results indicate that in the simulation environment, no matter the PPP positioning data under single GPS or multisystem combination, the vibration frequency of single-axis motion simulator can be accurately extracted after frequency domain analysis, with multisystem setups providing more precise amplitude parameters. In the field test, the natural vibration periods of the main vibration modes of high-rise steel single-tube tower measured by PPP technology closely match the results of the first two modes derived from finite element analysis. The first mode period calculated by the empirical formula is approximately 6% higher than those determined through finite element analysis and PPP. This study demonstrates the potential of PPP for structural vibration analysis, offering significant benefits for assessing dynamic responses and monitoring the health of towering structures.