Review of the Application of Finite Element Model Updating to Civil Structures

Abstract

Structural finite element model (FEM) updating in dynamics usually deemed the measured modal parameters as the goal. By modifying the theoretical FEM, the updated modal parameters obtained by the analytical FEM would finally tend to the testing results. But the own complexity of the civil structure leads the optimization problem of FEM updating to be super-size and high non-linear performance. Moreover, the uncertainty and nonuniformity of the structures, material and the environment effect cause the uncertainty of the updating parameters, even the optimization objective function of FEM updating. These features has brought greater difficulty to the model updating in civil engineering structure, especially for the application field. Therefore, in this paper several kinds of methods for FEM updating would be introduced with the comparison of their advantages, disadvantages and the range of application. At the end of this paper, the problems remained to be solved in FEM updating of civil structures are to be presented.