Damage identification in plate-like structure using mode shape derivatives

In this paper, a new damage indicator based on modal data, such as mode shapes and its derivatives, is presented for damage identification in plate-like structures. The proposed indicator is determined using modal analysis information extracted from a finite element code in MATLAB. After obtaining the mode shapes, the slope and curvature of the plate in each mode are calculated based on central finite difference methods. A numerical example with and without noise is considered to evaluate the exact location of different damage scenarios. In order to validate the proposed indicator for structural damage detection, the obtained results have been compared with another study which was based on experimental data. Moreover, in order to better assess the performance of the proposed indicator, a comparison has been made between the proposed indicator and two well-known indicators found in the literature. The results indicate that the proposed damaged indicator is able to detect precisely the location of single and multiple damage cases having different characteristics in plate-like structures.