ABSTRACT
Modal identification results using only a single sensor may be unreliable, on August 5, 2014, three temporary accelerometers were installed on the Gazebo at various locations to measure the ambient vibration of the structure. Environmental loads were recorded. This chapter shows that results extracted from the recorded data on the Gazebo. It investigates the contributions from the aforementioned probable sources of damage by analyzing real-life data through the prism of detailed numerical simulations. The Watts Towers are intricate large-scale skeletal structures that are adorned with multitudes of ornaments. They were built during a 34-year period in the Watts district of Los Angeles by a single artist, Simon Rodia, who used only rudimentary tools and simple construction techniques. The measurements as well as simulations carried out with Finite Element models indicate that both earthquake and diurnal temperature variations play a significant role in the development and propagation of persistent cracks.
