A new efficient two-stage method for damage localization and quantification in shell structures

Abstract

The article proposes a new efficient two-stage approach for damage localization and quantification in shell structures using a modal flexibility sensitivity-based damage indicator abbreviated as MFBDI and a recently developed parameter-free optimization algorithm named golden ratio optimization method (GROM). In the first stage, the damage indicator MFBDI is employed to localize possible damage elements in the monitored shell structure. These possible damage elements also help define the search space of optimization problem in the next step. In the second stage, the GROM as a robust optimization solver is implemented to update the finite element (FE) model of the shell structure for refined localization of damage and quantification of its severity. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed two-stage approach are demonstrated by two numerical simulation examples including a hypar shell and a spherical shell. The simultaneous influences of spatially-incomplete and inaccurate vibration data on damage prediction results are also taken into consideration. The obtained results reveal that the proposed approach can provide an efficient and accurate damage localization and quantification procedure for the studied shell structures.