Damage identification of structures with uncertain frequency and mode shape data

Abstract A statistical method with combined uncertain frequency and mode shape data for structural damage identification is proposed. By comparing the measured vibration data before damage or analytical finite element model of the intact structure with those measured after damage, the finite element model is updated so that its vibration characteristic changes are equal to the changes in the measured data as closely as possible. The effects of uncertainties in both the measured vibration data and finite element model are considered as random variables in model updating. The statistical variations of the updated finite element model are derived with perturbation method and Monte Carlo technique. The probabilities of damage existence in the structural members are then defined. The proposed method is applied to a laboratory tested steel cantilever beam and frame structure. The results show that all the damages are identified correctly with high probabilities of damage existence. Discussions are also made on the applicability of the method when no measurement data of intact structure are available. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.