Dynamic force identification for beamlike structures using an improved dynamic stiffness method

In this study a procedure of dynamic force identification for beamlike structures is developed based on an improved dynamic stiffness method. In this procedure, the entire structure is first divided into substructures according to the excitation locations and the measured response sites. Each substructure is then represented by an equivalent element. The resulting model only retains the degree of freedom (DOF) associated with the excitations and the measured responses and the DOF corresponding to the boundaries of the structures. Because the technique partly bypasses the processes of modal parameter extraction, global matrix inversion, and model reduction, it can eliminate many of the approximations and errors that may be introduced during these processes. The principle of the method is described in detail and its efficiency is demonstrated via numerical simulations of three different structures. The sensitivity of the estimated force to random noise is discussed and the limitation of the technique is pointed out.