A numerical technique for structural damage detection

A computationally attractive method is proposed in this study to provide an insight to the location and extent of structural damage. The proposed method makes use of the matrix disassembly technique and approaches the damage location and extent problem in a decoupled fashion. First, a scheme is developed to determine the damage location by calculating a damage localization vector, which is derived from the modal residual force criteria. With location determined, the corresponding damage extent can be easily obtained only by the processes of division. The algorithm is applied to a numerical example and its efficiency is demonstrated through damage simulations.