Structural Identification and Damage Detection

Abstract

The use of parametric models is extended to damage detection, thereby exploiting their ability to describe local characteristics. Aspects closely related to parameter estimation are examined in detail here with reference to a specific case of a masonry building affected by diffused damage. Pseudo experimental and experimental data are considered in the identification procedure; this allowed different causes of ill-conditioning and other peculiarities to be investigated.The changes induced by damage in the dynamic response are exploited to build a procedure for damage detection based on the variation of natural frequencies, both for continuous and discrete models of beams affected by concentrated damages. A new approach is proposed which considers the peculiar aspects of the damage identification problem. Some applications of the technique proposed are outlined with reference to numerical and experimental cases.