Structural damage detection method using frequency response functions. (July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bandara, Rupika P; Chan, Tommy HT; Thambiratnam, David P
• Is Part Of: Structural health monitoring. Volume 13:Number 4(2014)
• Page Start: 418
• Page End: 429
• Publication Date: 2014-07
• Subjects: Structural damage detection -- pattern recognition -- artificial neural networks -- principal component analysis -- frequency response functions -- damage quantification; Structural health monitoring -- Periodicals; Structural stability -- Periodicals; Strength of materials -- Periodicals; Nondestructive testing -- Periodicals; Constructions -- Stabilité -- Périodiques; Résistance des matériaux -- Périodiques; Contrôle non destructif -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 624.17
• DOI: 10.1177/1475921714522847
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1475-9217

Abstract

Structural damage detection using measured dynamic data for pattern recognition is a promising approach. These pattern recognition techniques utilize artificial neural networks and genetic algorithm to match pattern features. In this study, an artificial neural network–based damage detection method using frequency response functions is presented, which can effectively detect nonlinear damages for a given level of excitation. The main objective of this article is to present a feasible method for structural vibration–based health monitoring, which reduces the dimension of the initial frequency response function data and transforms it into new damage indices and employs artificial neural network method for detecting different levels of nonlinearity using recognized damage patterns from the proposed algorithm. Experimental data of the three-story bookshelf structure at Los Alamos National Laboratory are used to validate the proposed method. Results showed that the levels of nonlinear damages can be identified precisely by the developed artificial neural networks. Moreover, it is identified that artificial neural networks trained with summation frequency response functions give higher precise damage detection results compared to the accuracy of artificial neural networks trained with individual frequency response functions. The proposed method is therefore a promising tool for structural assessment in a real structure because it shows reliable results with experimental data for nonlinear damage detection which renders the frequency response function–based method convenient for structural health monitoring.