Identification of boundary conditions as a part of model correction

Abstract Experience shows that in mathematical models of elastic systems the boundary conditions, bearings and joints are those parts of the system which are generally much less well known than the main components. The influence of these local parts on the system’s dynamic behavior is commonly underestimated. Thus, in model correction, they tend to be modelled in an oversimplified way. Taking this fact into account, the present paper gives a system identification approach that is limited (at least in a first step) to the estimation of boundary conditions by using measured modal data.