A structural damage detection method using static noisy data

A structural damage detection algorithm using static test data is presented in this paper. Changes in the static response of a structure are characterized as a set of non-linear simultaneous equations that relate the changes in the static response to the location and severity of damage. Damage is considered as a reduction in the structural stiffness parameter (axial and/or flexural). An optimality criterion is introduced to solve these equations by minimizing the difference between the load vector of the damaged and the undamaged structure. The overall formulation leads to a non-linear optimization problem with non-linear equality and linear inequality constraints. A method based on stored strain energy in elements is presented for selecting the loading location. Measurement locations are selected based on the Fisher Information Matrix. Numerical results for a plane truss demonstrate the ability of this method in detecting damage in a given structure with the presence of noise in the measurements.