A damage localization method based on the 'jerk energy'

This paper proposes two damage localization procedures that are based on the difference in the curvature of the response 'jerk energy'. The efficacy of the proposed approaches is validated using several numerical and experimental examples, as well as compared with a previously reported damage localization method based on the fractal dimension of the response. First, a 10 degree-of-freedom mass-spring-damper system is considered to provide clear numerical validation and comparison. Single and multiple damage cases with different levels of stiffness loss, different noise levels, and different locations are considered. Then, the proposed jerk energy-based approach is experimentally validated using a laboratory-scale six-story shear building model. Both the experimental and numerical results indicate that both the presented procedures can locate damage effectively; moreover, they perform well in the presence of noise and are model free, which provides a good foundation for engineering applications.