Performance of the generalized delta rule in structural damage detection

Abstract

The paper examines the suitability of the generalized data rule in training artificial neural networks (ANN) for damage identification in structures. Several multilayer perceptron architectures are investigated for a typical bridge truss structure with simulated damage states generated randomly. The training samples have been generated in terms of measurable structural parameters (displacements and strains) at suitable selected locations in the structure. Issues related to the performance of the network with reference to hidden layers and hidden neurons are examined. Some heuristics are proposed for the design of neural networks for damage identification in structures. These are further supported by an investigation conducted on five other bridge truss configurations.