Application of wavelet transform to structural damage detection

This paper presents a method based on wavelet transform to detect the existence and location of structural damage. The system output is processed with wavelet transform and the result is compared with that of the undamaged system. it is found that minor localized damage, which generates vibration signals almost undistinguishable from those of the undamaged system by conventional analysis methods in time and frequency domains, can induce significant changes in the wavelet coefficients of the Vibration signals. Furthermore, the maximum difference between wavelet coefficients of the damaged and original systems occurs at the location of the damage.