Experimental Damage Identification by Applying Structural Dynamic Model Updating

In this paper, structural dynamic model updating has been utilized in experimentally evaluating the extent of damage at six locations of a damaged cantilever beam structure. Six elements of the beam had lateral cuts. These cuts resulted in unknown reductions in flexural rigidity parameters. These parameters were taken as updating parameters and the reductions in these parameters were identified through dynamic model updating and evaluated to be 54.49, 100.09, 79.63, 82.17, 45.60 and 27.40 Nm 2 . Updated finite element model of the structure was created by incorporating reduced flexural rigidity parameters. Dynamic results of updated model showed that total absolute error in prediction of natural frequencies was reduced by 98.36%, which confirmed accurate identification of flexural rigidity parameters and hence damage extents in the beam.