Application of a robust vibration-based non-destructive method for detection of fatigue cracks in structures

This paper presents the application of a novel vibration-based technique for detecting fatigue cracks in structures. The method utilizes the empirical mode decomposition method (EMD) to establish an effective energy-based damage index. To investigate the feasibility of the method, fatigue cracks of different sizes were introduced in an aluminum beam subjected to a cyclic load under a three-point bending configuration. The vibration signals corresponding to the healthy and the damaged states of the beam were acquired via piezoceramic sensors. The signals were then processed by the proposed methodology to obtain the damage indices. In addition, for the sake of comparison, the frequency and damping analysis were performed on the test specimen. The results of this study concluded with two major observations. Firstly, the method was highly successful in not only predicting the presence of the fatigue crack, but also in quantifying its progression. Secondly, the proposed energy-based damage index was proved to be superior to the frequency-based methods in terms of sensitivity to the damage detection and quantification. As a result, this technique could be regarded as an efficient non-destructive tool, since it is simple, cost-effective and does not rely on analytical modeling of structures. In addition, the capability of the finite element method (FEM) in mimicking the experiments, and hence for consideration as an effective tool for conducting future parametric studies, was also investigated.