Robustness and Efficiency of an Optimization-Based Damage Detection Technique

A structural damage identification method based on sensitivity functions and optimization algorithms is discussed in this paper. The suggested sensitivity analysis technique can be effectively used for the damage identification process because it requires only measured frequency response functions to calculate the sensitivity of system responses to each component parameter. The optimization algorithm finds the best combination of changes in design variables to minimize the object function that is defined as the difference between the measured and calculated FRFs for the damaged structure. Various parameters and factors in the optimization process and structural dynamics are studied in this work to enhance the efficiency and robustness of the damage identification process. This study shows that the proposed technique can improve the accuracy of damage identification.