Mathematical Problems in Engineering
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 302482, 12 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/302482
Research Article

Direct Index Method of Beam Damage Location Detection Based on Difference Theory of Strain Modal Shapes and the Genetic Algorithms Application

Bao Zhenming,1 Zhao Deyou,1 Lin Zhe,1 Ma Jun,1 and Zhen Yaobao2

1Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
2School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

Received 5 October 2012; Accepted 14 November 2012

Academic Editor: Rui Mu

Copyright © 2012 Bao Zhenming et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Structural damage identification is to determine the structure health status and analyze the test results. The three key problems to be solved are as follows: the existence of damage in structure, to detect the damage location, and to confirm the damage degree or damage form. Damage generally changes the structure physical properties (i.e., stiffness, mass, and damping) corresponding with the modal characteristics of the structure (i.e., natural frequencies, modal shapes, and modal damping). The research results show that strain mode can be more sensitive and effective for local damage. The direct index method of damage location detection is based on difference theory, without the modal parameter of the original structure. FEM numerical simulation to partial crack with different degree is done. The criteria of damage location detection can be obtained by strain mode difference curve through cubic spline interpolation. Also the genetic algorithm box in Matlab is used. It has been possible to identify the damage to a reasonable level of accuracy.