Modal shape reconstruction and damage identification of vibrating plates using inverse finite element method

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7712/150123.9863.451153

In this study, a new structural modal model is developed based on the inverse finite element method (iFEM) to regenerate the natural frequencies and mode shapes of plates from in situ strain measurements. Also, the proposed model is applied to the structural damage diagnosis of vibrating plates. To perform the necessary simulations, a cantilever plate is analyzed with a limited number of strain gauges through the iFEM approach under hammer testing loads. To this end, the plate is dynamically simulated with/without initial damage using forward finite element analysis. The strain response at each time step is recorded as input to the iFEM analysis. The results of iFEM versus reference solutions are comprehensively compared. Consequently, the superior modal data identification and damage diagnosis capability of the proposed methodology are demonstrated. Overall, the iFEM approach has been proven as a turn-key solution for experimental modal testing and structural health monitoring of plates under vibration.