Structural damage localization and evaluation based on modal data via a new evolutionary algorithm

This paper is intended to present a method for the localization and evaluation of damage in plates based on the changes in natural frequencies and mode shapes of the damaged plate using an optimization approach. The colonial competitive algorithm is employed to detect damage (or damages) in plates by optimizing a damage function. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated by implementing the technique to two examples; a shear wall and a four-fixed supported plate with and without modal data noise including one or a large number of damages. The results confirm the applicability and efficiency of the presented method in detecting damage localization and quantification in the shear walls. Furthermore, the proposed method is implemented to the four-fixed supported plate aimed at demonstrating the high sensitivity of the proposed method in quantitative estimation of damaged plate structures. Finally, the reliability of the presented method is explored through the comparison of the obtained results and those of the other methods. It is concluded that the proposed method can be viewed as a powerful and robust method for structural damage detection in plate structures.