Structural impact detection and classification systems and methods

A method for determining an event signal corresponding to an event, the method comprising:

• setting a noise floor and an event threshold;
• obtaining a plurality of measurements of an accelerometer;
• determining at least one intermediate measurement of the plurality of measurements that exceeds the event threshold;
• determining a first measurement of the plurality of measurements that precedes the at least one intermediate measurement, the first measurement having a magnitude that exceeds the noise floor;
• determining a second measurement of the plurality of measurements that follows the at least one intermediate measurement, the second measurement having a magnitude that exceeds the noise floor;
• and
• setting the event signal as the plurality of measurements from the first measurement to the second measurement.

A method for classifying accelerometer data of a structure, the method comprising:

• obtaining acceleration data from an accelerometer positioned to monitor a structure and receive vibrations from the structure, the acceleration data including a plurality of measurements;
• selecting a subset of the plurality of measurements as an event signal, the subset of the plurality of measurements having a magnitude that exceeds a noise floor, the event signal including a first measurement, a second measurement, and a plurality of intermediate measurements between the first measurement and the second measurement, the plurality of intermediate measurements exceeding an event threshold, the event threshold being greater than the noise floor;
• comparing the event signal to a set of historical events;
• and
• classifying the event signal as an event type.