Abstract not found

This paper provides an overview of methods to detect, locate, and characterize damage in structural and mechanical systems by examining changes in measured vibration response. Research in vibration-based damage identification has been rapidly expanding over the last few years. The basic idea behind this technology is that modal parameters (notably frequencies, mode shapes, and modal damping) are functions of the physical properties of the structure (mass, damping, and stiffness). Therefore, changes in the physical properties will cause detectable changes in the modal properties. The motivation for the development of this technology is presented. The methods are categorized according to various criteria such as the level of damage detection provided, model-based vs. non-model-based methods and linear vs. nonlinear methods. The methods are also described in general terms including difficulties associated with their implementation and their fidelity. Past, current and future-planned applications of this technology to actual engineering systems are summarized. The paper concludes with a discussion of critical issues for future research in the area of vibration-based damage identification.

of excellence in research and education that has contributed greatly to the state-of-the-art in civil engineering. Completed in 1967 and extended in 1971, the structural testing area of the laboratory has a versatile strong-floor/wall and a three-story clear height that can be used to carry out a wide range of tests of building materials, models, and structural systems. The laboratory is named for Dr. Nathan M. Newmark, an internationally known educator and engineer, who was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois [1956-73] and the Chair of the Digital Computing Laboratory [1947-57]. He developed simple, yet powerful and widely used, methods for analyzing complex structures and assemblages subjected to a variety of static, dynamic, blast, and earthquake loadings. Dr. Newmark received numerous honors and awards for his achievements, including the prestigious National Medal of Science awarded in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also one of the founding members of the National Academy of Engineering. Contact: Prof. B.F. Spencer, Jr.

of excellence in research and education that has contributed greatly to the state-of-the-art in civil engineering. Completed in 1967 and extended in 1971, the structural testing area of the laboratory has a versatile strong-floor/wall and a three-story clear height that can be used to carry out a wide range of tests of building materials, models, and structural systems. The laboratory is named for Dr. Nathan M. Newmark, an internationally known educator and engineer, who was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois [1956-73] and the Chair of the Digital Computing Laboratory [1947-57]. He developed simple, yet powerful and widely used, methods for analyzing complex structures and assemblages subjected to a variety of static, dynamic, blast, and earthquake loadings. Dr. Newmark received numerous honors and awards for his achievements, including the prestigious National Medal of Science awarded in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also one of the founding members of the National Academy of Engineering. Contact:

This paper provides an overview of methods that examine changes in measured vibration response to detect, locate, and characterize damage in structural and mechanical systems. The basic idea behind this technology is that modal parameters (notably frequencies, mode shapes, and modal damping) are functions of the physical properties of the structure (mass, damping, and stiffness). Therefore, changes in the physical properties will cause detectable changes in the modal properties. The motivation for the development of this technology is first provided. The methods are then categorized according to various criteria such as the level of damage detection provided, model-based vs. non-model-based methods and linear vs. nonlinear methods. This overview is limited to methods that can be adapted to a wide range of structures (i.e., are not dependent on a particular assumed model form for the system such as beam-bending behavior and methods and that are not based on updating finite element models). Next, the methods are described in general terms including difficulties associated with their implementation and their fidelity. Past, current and future-planned applications of this technology to actual engineering systems are summarized. The paper concludes with a discussion of critical issues for future research in the area of modal-based damage identification.

The issues surrounding the use of ambient vibration modes for the location of structural damage via dynamically measured flexibility are examined. Several methods for mass-normalizing the dynamic mode shapes extracted from ambient modal data are implemented and compared. The methods are applied to data from a series of ambient modal tests on an actual highway bridge. The results indicate that the mass-normalization procedures considered all give comparable results. The results also indicate that for the damage case examined, the flexibility from the ambient mode shapes gives a better indication of damage than the flexibility from the forced-vibration mode shapes. This improved performance is attributed to the higher excitation load levels that occur during the ambient test.