Recent Applications of Kalman Filters in Structural Deformation Monitoring

The Kalman filter is an important mathematical tool of continuous adjustment over successive observations for updating and predicting the state of the entire test process. In a kinematic model it describes point displacements by time functions, without relation to causal forces. Technological developments enables the capture of both the causal forces and physical properties of constructions, together with the resulting deformations in a dynamic model, consisting of a causal force as an input signal, transmission through an object as a transfer memory, and an object response as an output signal delayed by memory. This paper gives an overview of the use of deformation models, especially using Kalman filters, in geodetic surveys of current damage detection and defects in constructions for timely response with remediation in order to gain an overview of the implementation of the accepted FIG WG 6.1 deformation model classification and terminology.