LAUSR

Abstract In this study, an efficient damage detection technique using the differential evolution (DE) algorithm and vibration data is proposed to properly detect the locations and extents of multiple damages of truss structures. The general equilibrium equations in which the reaction forces at notes are taken into account are considered. The compatibility equations in terms of forces are presented using the singular value decomposition (SVD) technique and then the extended equations of motion are developed based on the force method. As an optimization algorithm, the differential evolution (DE) algorithm is utilized and the objective function for damage detection is based on vibration data such as natural frequencies and mode shapes. Three numerical examples for planar and space truss structures are considered to verify the effectiveness and practical applicability of the present study. The numerical results show that the proposed method based on DE and vibration data can provide a reliable tool on determining the locations and extents of multiple damages of truss structures when it compares with those obtained from the genetic algorithm.