System identification of analytical models of damped structures

A procedure is presented for identifying linear nonproportionally damped system. The system damping is assumed to be representable by a real symmetric matrix. Analytical mass, stiffness and damping matrices which constitute an approximate representation of the system are assumed to be available. Given also are an incomplete set of measured natural frequencies, damping ratios and complex mode shapes of the structure, normally obtained from test data. A method is developed to find the smallest changes in the analytical model so that the improved model can exactly predict the measured modal parameters. The present method uses the orthogonality relationship to improve mass and damping matrices and the dynamic equation to find the improved stiffness matrix.