Dual boundary element formulation for inverse potential problems in crack identification

In this paper a new boundary element formulation is presented for the identification of the location and size of internal cracks in two dimensional structures. The method is presented, as a supplement to the experimental non-destructive testing (NDT) methods, for more accuracy in the identification procedure. The identification method is presented, proposing the dual boundary element method (DBEM) as the basis for design sensitivity computation. Examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the crack identification method for various cracks.