Damage localization using transmissibility functions: A critical review

This paper deals with the use of transmissibility functions for damage localization. The first part is dedicated to a critical review of the state-of-the-art highlighting the major difficulties when using transmissibility functions for damage detection and localization. In the second part, an analytical study is presented for non dispersive systems such as chain-like mass-spring systems. The link between the transmissibility function and the mechanical properties of four subsystems defined by the boundary conditions, the position of the excitation and the two measurement locations used for the computation of the transmissibility functions is derived. This result is used to discuss the situations in which damage localization is likely to work. The last section discusses the extension of these results to more general dispersive systems such as beams or plates.

► Critical review of the state-of-the-art.
► Highlights of the major difficulties usually avoided in the literature.
► Understanding of various physical phenomena, and analytical study.
► Analytical link between the transmissibility and the mechanical properties for damage detection.