A Procedure for Multiple Damage Identification in Elastic Beams

This paper concerns with the identification of multiple cracks in a beam by measurements of the damage-induced variations in the static deflection of the beam under a prescribed load condition. Each crack is simulated by an equivalent linear elastic rotational spring connecting the two adjacent segments of the beam. Sufficient conditions on the static measurements which allow for the unique identification of the damage are presented and discussed for beams under various sets of boundary conditions. The analysis is based on an explicit expression of the crack-induced variation in the static deflection of the beam. The present results are obtained by non trivial extension of recent results given by the authors regarding the identification of a single crack in a beam by static tests.