A standardized experiment for validating Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methods is taken up. The test structure is a laboratory-scale five-storey steel frame designed with joints that can be easily detached or reattached as needed. The relatively heavier joints mimic the real-life rigid structural joints fabricated with extensive use of gusset plates and fasteners. The frame members are also proportionally chosen to allow sufficient flexibility as in typical real-life structural frames. The material properties, like elasticity and density are experimentally obtained and reported. The real structure has been tested under different levels of forces exerted through an impact hammer. Accordingly, the force and response histories are recorded and reported in this article.

Further to complement the requirement of support models for typical model based SHM approaches, two support models are prepared that mimic the test setup. The first one is a high-fidelity Finite Element (FE) model prepared using commercial ABAQUS software and the second one is a simplified FE model prepared with MATLAB scripting language. While the first model emphasizes the details to be replicated with sufficient accuracy through the numerical model, the simplified model aims to reduce the computational burden that is typically induced through recursive simulation calls of such support models. Both the models are calibrated (/updated) using typical optimization protocols minimizing the departure between model and real experimental responses. Both time and frequency domain information has been used in this attempt. All details and data produced by the models and the experiments are disseminated in this article.