Finite Element Modelling of Mart Structures

Abstract

Structural health monitoring is gaining importance day by day. Failure of any infrastructure causes severe loss of life and economy. Therefore, critical structures should be monitored at frequent intervals. This study concentrated on high frequency because of the limitations of low frequency techniques, in locating incipient damages. Unique properties of direct and converse piezoelectric effects enable piezo electrio-ceramic (pzt) patch to act both as an actuator and as a sensor simultaneously. Making use of the sensing capability the of PZT patch, conductance signature of the structure can be obtained against which health monitoring of the structure can be done. Signature of the structure in healthy state is called the base line signature. It is compared with signature obtained after a time lapse, which is called secondary state conductance signature. The characteristic feature of the EMI technique is that it activates higher frequency modes of the structure