Modeling and damage detection for cracked I-shaped steel beams

This paper presents the results of a study to show how the development of a crack alters the structural behavior of I-shaped steel beams and how this can be used to evaluate nondestructive evaluation techniques. The approach is based on changes in the dynamic behavior. An approximate finite element model for a cracked beam with I-shaped cross-section is developed based on a simplified fracture model. The model is then used to review different damage cases. Damage detection techniques are studied to determine their ability to identify the existence of the crack and to identify its location. The techniques studied are the coordinate modal assurance criterion, the modal flexibility, and the state and the slope arrays.