AN APPLICATION OF GENETIC ALGORITHMS TO IDENTIFY DAMAGE IN ELASTIC STRUCTURES

A technique currently under development for the detection of macroscop ic structural damage in elastic structures is described. The location and quantification of the extent of the damage is performed with genet ic algorithms implemented by using the residual force method which is based on conventional modal analysis theory. A brief survey of the lit erature published on the subject, the theory of genetic algorithms and the residual forces method are included and a new formulation of an o bjective function for the genetic search optimization procedure is pre sented. The results of test cases are included in order to illustrate the techniques presented. In these examples, experimental data were si mulated numerically by using finite element models of structural syste ms and, as demonstrated, it has been possible to identify the damage i ntroduced to a reasonable level of accuracy. (C) 1996 Academic Press L imited