Application of load-dependent Ritz vectors to Bayesian probabilistic damage detection

This paper demonstrates the possibility of incorporating load-dependent Rit z vectors as an alternative to modal parameters into a Bayesian probabilist ic framework for detecting damages in a structure. Recent research has show n that it is possible to extract load-dependent Ritz vectors from vibration tests. This paper shows that load-dependent Ritz vectors have the followin g potential advantages for damage detection over modal vectors: (1) in gene ral, load-dependent Ritz vectors are more sensitive to damage than the corr esponding modal vectors; and (2) substructures of interest can be made more observable using the load-dependent Ritz vectors generated from particular load patterns. An eight-bay truss example and a five-story frame example, explicitly considering both modeling error and measurement noise, are prese nted to illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach. (C) 2000 Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.