Damage estimation in vibrating beams from time domain experimental measurements

The problem of damage detection in beams from time domain vibration measurements is investigated. A cantilever beam subjected to dynamic point loadings is considered. A measurable damage in the form of a crack-like defect is introduced into the beam. Using Bayesian principles, a particle filtering algorithm applied on the experimentally measured tip accelerations is used to estimate the changes in damping and in the flexural rigidity of the beam. Subsequently, the size and location of the crack are estimated using principles of fracture mechanics and particle filtering. The proposed method bypasses the need for baseline measurements of the vibration response of the undamaged beam.