Flexibility based approach for damage characterization: Benchmark application

A flexibility based damage characterization technique is described and its performance is examined in the context of Phase I of the benchmark study developed by the IASC-ASCE SHM Task Group. Noteworthy features of the analytical development are: (1) the methodology used to extract a matrix that is proportional to the flexibility when the excitation is stochastic; (2) the technique used to interrogate the changes in flexibility (or flexibility proportional matrices) with regards to the location of the damage; and (3) the method used to quantify the damage without the use of a model. The strategy proved successful in all the cases considered.