A Force Identification Method for Geometric Nonlinear Structures

Excitation identification for nonlinear structures is still a challenging problem due to the convergence and accuracy in this process. In this study, a load estimation method is proposed with orthogonal decomposition, the order for which can be fairly accurately determined by a regression. In this process, the force time history is represented by the orthogonal basis and the coefficients of the orthogonal decomposition are taken as unknowns and augmented to the state variable, which can be identified recursively in state space. A general energy-conserving method is selected to a step-by-step integration to guarantee the convergence of this integration. The proposed method is first validated by numerical simulation studies of a truss structure considering its geometric property. The identification results of the numerical studies demonstrate that the proposed excitation identification method and the orthogonal decomposition order determination method work well for nonlinear structures. The laboratory work of a 7-story frame is investigated to consider the geometric nonlinearity in impact force identification. The results of experimental studies show that uncertainties such as measurement noise and model error are included in the investigation of the accuracy and robustness of the proposed force identification method, while the time history of external forces could be identified with promising results.