Nondestructive Test Methods

Dynamic and Vibration Testing

Dynamic and vibration testing is a nondestructive technique that uses accelerometers and a high-speed data acquisition system to capture the motion of a structure. The accelerometers contain piezoelectric materials that convert motion into electric charge. The electric charge can be measured by the data acquisition system and recorded for later processing.

WDP’s acceleration measurement system includes a portable, high-speed data acquisition system capable of recording 16 instruments at sampling rates as large as 200 kHz. The records can be viewed and analyzed in real-time while in the field. The entire system is portable and can be used in a wide variety of operating conditions. Combined with Fourier Transforms, the data gathered by this system can be used to measure the modal frequencies of structures and their relative magnitudes.

Typical applications of Dynamic and Vibration Testing include:

  • Modal analysis
  • Measurement of random vibrations
  • Assessment of dynamic loads