Transmissibility Versus Damage Detection

The generalization of the motion transmissibility to multiple degrees of freedom systems establishes the linear relationship between two sets of responses, when a set of loads is applied at some given coordinates. In previous works, the authors have developed algorithms based on the transmissibility that allow for the identification of the applied loads. Such an identification includes the determination of the quantity of loads, their localization and also their magnitude. In damage detection, one is also interested in determining the number of defects, their localization and to quantify their extent. If one thinks of a defect as a local structural modification, one can show that it may be interpreted as an alteration of the dynamic load at that location. In this paper, one presents a transmissibility-based force identification technique as a means to detect, localize and quantify structural damages. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed procedure.