Nonlinear Vibration of Cracked Structures: Perspectives and Horizons

Until recently, research in the modeling of nonlinear structures has either been too simplistic in its approach, for general structures, or too context specific, for particularly vulnerable structures, to devise general guidelines. Increasing the understanding of the effects of flaws in structures and their characteristic behavior patterns enables practical implementation of condition-monitoring techniques. It is only possible for these techniques to be exploited effectively if the most likely position and severity of these defects can be predicted from knowledge about the design and construction of the systems under test.