Finite element model updating for structural health monitoring

This paper provides a model updating approach to detect, locate, and characterize damage in structural and mechanical systems by examining changes in measured vibration responses. Research in vibration-based damage identification has been rapidly expanding over the last few decades. 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 changes in the modal properties which could be obtained by structural health monitoring (SHM). Updating is a process fraught with numerical difficulties. These arise from inaccuracy in the model and imprecision and lack of information in the measurements, mainly taken place in joints and critical points. The motivation for the development of this technology is presented, methods are categorized according to various criteria such as the level of damage detection provided from vibration testing, natural frequency and mode shape readings are then obtained by using modal analysis techniques, which are used for updating structural parameters of the associated finite element model. The experimental studies for the laboratory tested bridge model show that the proposed model updating using ME'scope technique can provide reasonable model updating results.