Big Bang-Big Crunch optimization for parameter estimation in structural systems

A new approach to parameter estimation of structural systems using the recently developed Big Bang-Big Crunch (BB-BC) optimization is proposed, in which the parameter estimation is formulated as a multi-modal optimization problem with high dimension. The BB-BC method is inspired by one of the theories of the evolution of universe. The potentialities of BB-BC are its inherent numerical simplicity, high convergence speed, and easy implementation. The performances of the proposed method are investigated with simulation results for identifying the parameters of structural systems under conditions including limited output data, noise-polluted signals, and no priori knowledge of mass, damping, or stiffness. It is observed that BB-BC gives comparatively better results than existing methods. Moreover the method is computationally simpler.