Automated finite element model updating of full-scale structures with PARameter Identification System (PARIS)

• Automated FE model updating for structural health monitoring.
• Development of FE model updating framework called PARIS.
• Customizable research software utilizing API of existing commercial software.
• Solution of parameter estimation problems distributed between different software platforms.
• Demonstration of FE model updating for full-scale structures with damage scenarios.

This paper presents a software framework, PARIS (PARameter Identification System), developed for automated finite element model updating for structural health monitoring. With advances in Application Programming Interfaces (API) for modern computing, the traditional boundaries between different standalone software packages hardly exist. Now complex problems can be distributed between different software platforms with advanced and specialized capabilities. PARIS takes advantage of the advancements in the computing environment and interfacing capabilities provided by commercial software to systematically distribute the structural parameter estimation problem into an iterative optimization and finite element analysis problem across different computing platforms. Three validation examples using simulated nondestructive test data for updating full-scale structural models under typically encountered damage scenarios are included. The results of model updating process for realistic structural models and their systematic treatment provide enhanced understanding of the aforementioned parameter estimation process and an encouraging path towards its feasible field application for structural health monitoring and structural condition assessment.