Lessons learned from operational modal analysis courses at the University of Molise

Operation Modal Analysis (OMA) is the testing procedure yielding experimental estimates of the modal parameters from measurements of the structural response only. Over the years OMA has evolved as an autonomous discipline and courses about this topic have been recently issued in some Italian universities. The increasing interest for OMA is motivated by the possibility to carry out cheap and fast tests, which do not interfere with the normal use of the structure. In fact, the idea is to take advantage of naturally induced vibrations in the structure to avoid artificial input. As a consequence, the identified modal parameters are representative of the actual behavior of the structure in its operational conditions, since they refer to levels of vibration actually present in the structure. The present review paper reports the experience gained by the Authors in giving classes about OMAfor theM.Sc. Program in Civil Engineering at the University of Molise. The relevant role of practical applications is remarked. In fact, the main difficulties in approaching the study of OMA are usually related to the proper understanding of the mathematical background. Thus, a more practical approach to teaching and learning has been adopted with little penalty for theoretical derivations.