This paper deals with the
identification of a single crack in a beam based on the knowledge of the damage-induced variations in the static deflection of the
beam. The crack is simulated by an equivalent linear spring
connecting the two adjacent segments of the beam. Sufficient conditions on static measurements which allow for the unique
identification of the crack are presented and discussed. The inverse analysis provides exact closed-form expressions of position and severity of the crack as functions of deflection measurements for different boundary conditions. The theoretical results are confirmed by a comparison with static measurements on
steel beams with a crack. Extension of the presented analysis to multiple cracks is briefly discussed