Damage Detection for Plate-Like Structures Using Generalized Curvature Mode Shape Method

Mode shape curvature-based method was originally developed to identify the damage in one-dimensional beam structures. In this paper, the method is generalized to fit for identification of damages in plate structures, using two-dimensional mode shape curvatures. The modified method only requires the first few curvature mode shapes of the plate before and after damage. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, numerical simulations considering different types of and multiple damages as well as experimental modal analysis on a steel plate with clamped and free edges have been conducted. The final results show that the proposed method works well to detect the damages.