Changes of modal properties of simply-supported plane beams due to damages

Damage detection methods using structural dynamic responses have received much attention in the past decades. For bridge and offshore structures, these methods are usually based on beam models. To ensure the successful application of these methods, it is necessary to examine the sensitivity of modal properties to structural damages. To this end, an analytic solution is presented of the modal properties of simply-supported Euler-Bernoulli beams that contain a general damage with no additional assumptions. The damage can be a reduction in the bending stiffness or a loss of mass within a beam segment. This solution enables us to thoroughly discuss the sensitivities of different modal properties to various damages. It is observed that the lower natural frequencies and mode shapes do not change so much when a section of the beam is damaged, while the mode of rotation angle and curvature modes show abrupt change near the damaged region. Although similar observations have been reported previously, the analytical solution presented herein for clarifying the mechanism involved is considered a contribution to the literature. It is helpful for developing new damage detection methods for structures of the beam type.