Detecting multiple cracks in beams using hierarchical genetic algorithms

This study deals with a method to identify multiple cracks in a beam. The novelty of this study is the use of a hierarchical genetic algorithm to detect the number, location, and the extent of multiple cracks. To demonstrate the feasibility of the present method, this algorithm is applied to the identification of double or triple cracks in a beam as well as four cracks. The detected crack locations and sizes are in excellent agreement with the actual ones. The numerical simulation reveal the HGA substantially reduces the total number of FE computation required and they are many orders smaller compared to conventional GA. The results also demonstrate the advantages of HGA from the viewpoints of its ability to avoid premature convergence