Damage Localization from the Image of Changes in Flexibility

Abstract

A recently introduced theorem on the localization of damage from changes in flexibility is reviewed. The theorem states that the image of the change in the flexibility matrix resulting from damaged is a basis for the influence lines of the stress resultants at the damaged locations. The theorem is the dual of the damage locating vector theorem, which states that the vectors in the kernel lead to stress fields that are zero over closed regions that contain the damage. Extension of the theorem to cases where flexibility matrices cannot be extracted from vibration data is realized by replacing the flexibility change with a surrogate. Performance of the image based localization approach is examined in simulations and in an experimental setting.