Inverse problem techniques for multiple crack detection in 2D elastic continua based on extended finite element concepts

Two efficient methods are presented to detect multiple cracks in 2D elastic bodies, based on the insights from Extended Finite Element. Adetection mesh is assigned to the cracked body and the responses are measured at the nodes. A finite element model with the same mesh is used to represent the uncracked state of the physical body. In the first method which is called Crack Detection based on Residual Error (CDRE), the residual error norm is calculated based on the uncracked body stiffness matrix and the cracked body responses. The contour of the error norm would show the crack pattern; the method is computationally efficient. In the second method that is coined as Crack Detection based on Stiffness Residual (CDSR), the crack locations are found based on the difference between the stiffness matrix of the cracked body and the uncracked body. The stiffness matrix of the cracked body is found by solving a dynamic inverse problem based on a modified Tikhonov regularization. The efficiency and accuracy of the identification method are enhanced by predicting the crack pattern by the CDRE method. Several examples are presented to show the accuracy and robustness of the methods in the presence of high noise levels.