Boundary conditioning for structural tuning using fuzzy logic approach

Technique of structural tuning is an important tool for structural engineers, that facilitates in controlling the frequency response of the structure. The structural tuning method has immense potential in a variety of engineering applications. Since the quantification of the actual boundary conditions of engineering structures is extremely difficult, the tuning process becomes inherently fuzzy in nature. In this study the Rayleigh–Ritz method along with boundary characteristic orthogonal polynomials is employed to demonstrate the influence of boundary conditions on the structural dynamic behavior. The theory of fuzzy sets is applied to model the process of structural tuning since it has the capacity to absorb the fuzziness associated with observation and system definition. Structural tuning of a square plate is modeled by Mamdani type fuzzy reasoning. The results obtained using the fuzzy model and those using the analytical model are in good agreement.