Structural damage detection using an efficient correlation-based index and a modified genetic algorithm

An efficient optimization procedure is proposed to detect multiple damage in structural systems. Natural frequency changes of a structure are considered as a criterion for damage presence. In order to evaluate the required natural frequencies, a finite element analysis (FEA) is utilized. A modified genetic algorithm (MGA) with two new operators (health and simulator operators) is presented to accurately detect the locations and extent of the eventual damage. An efficient correlation-based index (ECBI) as the objective function for the optimization algorithm is also introduced. The numerical results of two benchmark examples considering the measurement noise demonstrate the computational advantages of the proposed method to precisely determine the sites and the extent of multiple structural damage.