Application of the strain energy damage detection method to plate-like structures

In this paper the problem of using measured modal parameters to detect and locate damage in plate-like structures is investigated. Many methods exist for locating damage in a structure given the modal properties before and after damage. Unfortunately, many of these methods require a correlated finite element model or mass normalized mode shapes. If the modal properties are obtained using ambient excitation then the mode shapes will not be mass normalized. In this paper a method based on the changes in the strain energy of the structure will be discussed. This method has been successfully applied to beam-like structures, that is, structures characterized by one-dimensional curvature. In this paper the method will be generalized to plate-like structures that are characterized by two-dimensional curvature. This method only requires the mode shapes of the structure before and after damage. To evaluate the effectiveness of the method it will be applied to simulated data.