Vibration-based, non-destructive damping matrix identification for damage detection in a sandwich composite beam

This investigation seeks to apply a damping identification method (Pilkey, 1998) to identify the damping matrix of a Sandwich Composite Beam. A non-destructive vibration-based methodology is presented to calculate the damping matrix. Here an iterative computational algorithm is used along with data obtained by modal analysis. The structures were tested for the undamaged and the damaged cases. An analytical model of the structures was developed by using the calculated damping matrix and the mass and stiffness matrices obtained from Finite Element Analysis. Frequency Response Function plots obtained experimentally were compared with the analytical model ones.;Various damage scenarios were tested. The results showed that analytical models of the structure vibration response could be obtained using this technique. It was demonstrated that the analytical model adequately predicted the dynamic behavior of the structure. Therefore the damping matrix used in this analytical model proved to adequately represent the structure damping characteristics.