Damage detection method based on operating deflection shape curvature extracted from dynamic response of a passing vehicle

This paper describes the development of a local damage detection method for beam and plate like structures based on operating deflection shape curvature extracted from dynamic response of a passing vehicle, which serves both as "exciter" and "message carrier". Based on the operating deflection shape curvature and the assumption that the intact structure is smooth and homogenous, a new damage detection algorithm called Global Filtering Method (GFM) is proposed. The new method using only information from damaged structures has been verified by both numerical simulations and experiments. Even if only using operating deflection shape curvatures at relatively few frequencies near the first natural frequency, not only local damage in beam could be detected in the numerical simulation, delamination as small as 8 mm in composite plate could also be detected in the laboratory. Compared with traditional methods using operating deflection shape data extracted from FRFs; it is time-saving, easier to implement and produces greater accuracy as it does not require many preinstalled sensors and solving eigenvector or singular value problems. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.