An Implementation of a Generalised Irreducible Element Model Builder for use within a Population-based Framework

Civil infrastructure encompasses diverse geometries, materials, joints, and foundations. The seemingly infinite forms that modern infrastructure exhibit only makes structural health monitoring all that more challenging, particularly when data is traditionally viewed as unique to each structure. This philosophy often leads to limited data for any given structure. However, these challenges might be mitigated by identifying symmetries among structures at a broader population level. Given the various structural forms, it is beneficial to abstract out topological and structural information, by systematically breaking down complex and continuous geometries into simple and discrete blocks. A promising approach is using irreducible element (IE) models. These models overlay graph theory principles atop structures, accounting for intrinsic attributes like material and joint type. IE models offer a Canonical Form for structures apt for statistical, structural, and topological comparisons between homogeneous and heterogeneous populations. Currently, IE model construction is a manual and time-consuming task. This paper presents an automated visual methodology for building an IE model implementation within a database framework; highlighting IE models as a user interface between real-world structures and database technologies for industrial applications. While the current implementation is broad in scope, it does lay the groundwork for future papers focussing on specific applications, such as bridges, wind turbines, and high-guided masts.