Bayesian identification of a cracked plate using a population-based Markov Chain Monte Carlo method

Estimating damage in structural systems is a challenging problem due to the complexity of the likelihood function describing the observed data. From a Bayesian perspective a complicated likelihood means efficient sampling of the posterior distribution is difficult and standard Markov Chain Monte Carlo samplers may no longer be sufficient. This work describes a population-based Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach for efficient sampling of the damage parameter posterior distributions. The approach is shown to accurately estimate the state of damage in a cracked plate structure using simulated, free-decay response data. The use of this approach in identifying structural damage has not previously been explored.