Nonlinear system identification in structural dynamics: 10 more years of progress

Nonlinear system identification is a vast research field, today attracting a great deal of attention in the structural dynamics community. Ten years ago, an MSSP paper reviewing the progress achieved until then [1] concluded that the identification of simple continuous structures with localised nonlinearities was within reach. The past decade witnessed a shift in emphasis, accommodating the growing industrial need for a first generation of tools capable of addressing complex nonlinearities in larger-scale structures. The objective of the present paper is to survey the key developments which arose in the field since 2006, and to illustrate state-of-the-art techniques using a real-world satellite structure. Finally, a broader perspective to nonlinear system identification is provided by discussing the central role played by experimental models in the design cycle of engineering structures.